Citation

Latoo J, Haddad PM, Mistry M, Wadoo O, Islam SMS, Jan F, Iqbal Y, Howseman T, Riley D, Alabdulla M. BJPsych Open 2021; 7(5).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Royal College of Psychiatrists)

DOI

10.1192/bjo.2021.1002

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first recognised in December 2019. The subsequent pandemic has caused 4.3 million deaths and affected the lives of billions. It has increased psychosocial risk factors for mental illness including fear, social isolation and financial insecurity and is likely to lead to an economic recession. COVID-19 is associated with a high rate of neuropsychiatric sequelae. The long-term effects of the pandemic on mental health remain uncertain but could be marked, with some predicting an increased demand for psychiatric services for years to come. COVID-19 has turned a spotlight on mental health for politicians, policy makers and the public and provides an opportunity to make mental health a higher public health priority. We review longstanding reasons for prioritising mental health and the urgency brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlight strategies to improve mental health and reduce the psychiatric fallout of the pandemic. Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Language: en

Keywords

human; mental health; suicide; epidemiology; Review; alcoholism; depression; pandemic; schizophrenia; public health; psychosis; stigma; mood disorder; mental disease; mental health care; anxiety disorder; drug dependence; budget; funding; global disease burden; coronavirus disease 2019; Coronavirus disease 2019