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Publication
The mental health impacts of a pandemic: A multiaxial conceptual model for COVID-19
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the mental health of the general population and particularly vulnerable individuals and groups. A wealth of research allows for estimating
this impact and identifying relevant factors contributing to or mitigating it. The current paper
presents and synthesizes this evidence into a multiaxial model of COVID-19 mental health impacts.
Based on existing research, we propose four axes: (1) Exposure to COVID-related events; (2) Personal
and social vulnerability, such as previous mental health problems or belonging to a vulnerable group;
(3) Time, which accounts for the differential impacts throughout the development of the pandemic;
and (4) Context, including healthcare and public policies, and social representations of the illness
influencing individual emotional reactions and relevant behaviors. These axes help acknowledge the
complexity of communities’ reactions and are pragmatic in identifying and prioritizing factors. The
axes can provide individual information (i.e., more exposure is harmful) and account for interactions
(e.g., exposure in an early phase of the pandemic differs from a later stage). This model contributes to
the reflections of the evidence and informs the mental health response to the next pandemic.
Description
Keywords
COVID-19 Pandemic Mental health Public health
Citation
Neto, D. D., & Silva, A. N. da. (2023). The Mental Health Impacts of a Pandemic: A Multiaxial Conceptual Model for COVID-19. Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), 13(11), 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110912
Publisher
MDPI