Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Sep 1;34(5):477-484.
doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000729.

Overview of behavioural and psychological consequences of COVID 19

Kevin Kendrick  1 , Mohan Isaac  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Overview of behavioural and psychological consequences of COVID 19

Kevin Kendrick et al. Curr Opin Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The paper aims to provide an overview of the psychological and behavioural impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on variations in behavioural response in different geographical areas due to the existence of different social-cultural contexts.

Recent findings: Whilst anxiety, depression and economic stressors are common findings worldwide, specific behavioural responses are heavily influenced by government stances, misinformation, conspiratorialism and competing demands of resource scarcity. This has led to very different understandings of the pandemic even in geographically close areas, and more so when comparing disparate regions such as Africa, South America and Europe. The paper also comments on the absence of robust evidence regarding increases of suicidality and violence on a global level, whilst noting evidence certainly exists in specific regions.

Summary: The psychological and behavioural impact of COVID is heavily influenced by the local lens. Beyond a very broad brush approaches, expected behaviours from one area cannot easily be extrapolated to others. Where possible, clinicians should be guided by local data, ideally placing expectations of responses in a cultural context.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Box 1
Box 1
no caption available
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Editorial.
    Isaac M, Filipčić I. Isaac M, et al. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 1;34(5):445-447. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000735. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2021. PMID: 34421111 No abstract available.

References

    1. Krishnamoorthy Y, Nagarajan R, Saya G, Menon V. Prevalence of psychological morbidities among general population, healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2020; 293:113382. - PMC - PubMed

    2. An early meta-analysis of 171,571 participants in regards to anxiety and depression. Studies were largely from China and of poor quality but helped to set the baseline expectation for impacts of COVID.

    1. Cénat J, Blais-Rochette C, Kokou-Kpolou C, et al. . Prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress among populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2021; 295:113599.doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113599. - PMC - PubMed

    2. A meta-analysis, with several non-Chinese countries included. Found no differences in mental health between Healthcare Workers and the general populace. Also found no overall difference based on gender, though some differences were noted in Western and Middle-Eastern studies.

    1. Necho M, Tsehay M, Birkie M, et al. . Prevalence of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2021; doi:10.1177/00207640211003121. - PubMed
    1. Mazza C, Ricci E, Biondi S, et al. . A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Italian people during the COVID-19 pandemic: immediate psychological responses and associated factors. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:3165. - PMC - PubMed

    2. An Italian study that drew associations between sociodemographic variables and DASS-21 scores during the COVID-19 outbreak. Described a link between female gender and increased DASS-21 during COVID.

    1. Wang GY, Tang SF. Perceived psychosocial health and its sociodemographic correlates in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: a community-based online study in China. Infect Dis Poverty 2020; 9:148.10.1186/s40249-020-00770-8 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

    2. A cross-sectional online survey intending to measure hopelessness, loneliness and depression. Discusses the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 on China well.