COVID-19 and impairment of mental health: public health perspective

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the article is to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the members of the general population. INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced the public health authorities to implement unprecedented public health measures with an intention to control the spread of the infection. METHODS: An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine and World Health Organization website and a total of 27 articles were selected based upon the suitability with the current review objectives. RESULTS: In order to reduce the caseload and interrupt the chain of transmission of the novel viral infection, it was envisaged that people should stay indoors unless it is extremely essential. This intervention did play its part in reducing the caseload, but significantly affected the daily routine of the people, which in turn accounted for a significant impact on the mental health of the people. Considering the ongoing development and the impact of COVID-19 infection on the mental health of people, there is an immense need to implement strategies to improve the lifestyle of the general population and the health care professionals. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created a state of public health emergency on the global scale. The infection has impacted people from all walks of life and is also responsible for precipitating a number of psychological and mental disorders. Thus, it is the need of the hour to identify those individuals who are prone to psychological disorders, and take urgent steps to ensure the preservation and improvement of the mental health of people.