Dôsledky pandémie Covid-19 pre psychické zdravie obyvateľov a možnosti intervencie

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic not only endangers the physical health of infected people but also, through its accompanying phenomena, endangers the mental health of the uninfected, especially by quarantine (social isolation, disruption of the daily routine, economic problems, work restrictions), by health concerns and the spread of misinformation. This theoretical work aims to provide an overview of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic for the mental health of the general population and an overview of research -proven or proposed strategies, which can support mental health during a pandemic. The results of the analyzed works are two tabular reports. The first is the examined consequences of a pandemic for mental health, including their factors and types of vulnerable groups, which included depression, anxiety, stress, post -traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, anger, and fear. The second presents proposed psychological and social interventions to mitigate the negative consequences for mental health. Interventions and protective factors protecting against the negative impact of a coronavirus pandemic on mental health can be divided into four groups: 1. Recommendations for the government and health professionals in a particular country – these include, in particular, the provision of up to -date, truthful, and accurate information, refutation of disinformation, provision of protective equipment, financial support for pandemic affected people, and promotion of prosocial behavior. 2. The second recommendation concerns psychologists who should use modern technologies for psychotherapy and try to help as many vulnerable people as possible by telephone and online counseling, crisis hotlines, and chats so that they will also be able to prevent an increase in suicides. There is a particular need for assistance to victims of domestic violence and prevention programs for pupils aged 14–18. 3. The population members themselves provide the third group of protective factors and interventions, i.e., their social relationships and emotional support provided through social networks, telecommunications, and specific assistance in the neighborhood. The main goal is to reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation. It includes a change in social infrastructure, contributing to increased safety in workplaces, in schools, and during leisure activities. 4. The last group of protective factors concerns individuals themself. In particular, distracting from pandemic -related events is considered to be an appropriate strategy in several ways: avoiding watching news, completing school assignments, spending time with family, pursuing one’s hobbies, playing sports, planning the day, and following the daily routine, even if a person stays at home all day. On a personal level, an optimistic attitude towards the future and a positive reassessment of the situation also helps. Among the requirements and reserves highlighted in the analyzed works, the following can be stated: in research, more space should be devoted to vulnerable groups of the population, namely people from the lowest socioeconomic strata, people without computer literacy, single people, children aged <18 and seniors aged 65+. It is recommended to unify research methods at the national level and to cooperate in developing and verifying the effectiveness of interventions at the international level. At the same time, as online research, which assumes a certain standard of living, dominates at the time of the pandemic, it is recommended that, while maintaining all health protection measures, data on the mental health of the population could be obtained through field social workers.