Santé mentale et Covid : toutes et tous concernés. Une revue narrative

The COVID-19 pandemic (caused by the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus) led to unprecedented challenges to public health, the healthcare system, and our daily lives (including work and education), particularly during the first wave in early 2020. In order to control infection of the virus, many countries have imposed restrictive measures to promote social distancing, ranging from curfews and school closures to widespread lockdown. At the beginning of 2022, there were 135,000 deaths from Sars-CoV-2 in France (nearly 6 million worldwide). Beyond the possible impact of Sars-CoV-2 on the brain, the pandemic has created complex human situations, with a possible impact on the mental health of populations. In this narrative review, we summarize current data on the impact of the pandemic on mental health in the general population and identify the most vulnerable groups. The goal is to provide more targeted prevention for these populations. Our review has identified several subgroups of subjects at higher risk of disorder in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: those bereaved by COVID-19, adolescents, students, people with COVID (with potentially direct brain damages), and finally, health care workers. Gender disparities were accentuated, leading to more mental disorders in women. Longitudinal follow-up studies are needed to better identify the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of different populations, and also to define personalized prevention strategies. Screening and prevention measures must be taken to limit the impact of this pandemic on mental health. More generally, the “one health” approach, which places human health at the interface of environmental and animal health, seems essential to avoid the occurrence of this type of pandemic and its consequences in the future.