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Mental Health Care during COVID-19 Pandemic
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Mental Health Care during COVID-19 Pandemic

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 8275

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Research, Innovation and Engagement, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi 4031, South Africa
Interests: primary health care; maternal and women and child care; health promotion; mental health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 towards the end of 2019, concerns over mental health issues have risen. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced many changes in society. Changes in lifestyle habits and more time in a mentally passive state while sitting at home may be connected with higher odds of developing poor mental health. The pandemic has not been only a global challenge to citizens’ physical health, but also to their mental and social wellbeing. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the prevalence of mental health disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an overall increase in mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, depression and suicidal ideation in society.

The focus of this Special Issue is to invite research papers that address the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health care.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care services;
  • The impact of COVID-19 on health care workers’ mental health;
  • Psychological impact of COVID-19 on mental health care users;
  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on postgraduate students’ mental health;
  • Psychological impact of COVID-19 on undergraduate students;
  • The effect of COVID-19 on adolescents and youth mental health;
  • Pyschosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parenting;
  • Leadership crisis during COVID-19.

Prof. Dr. Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anxiety
  • COVID-19
  • depression
  • health care
  • mental health
  • suicidal ideation
  • stress

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 591 KiB  
Article
Helping Frontline Workers in Texas—A Framework for Resource Development
by Karima Lalani, Meredith O’Neal, Simone Lee Joannou, Bhanumathi Gopal and Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(20), 6935; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20206935 - 17 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1464
Abstract
First responders disproportionately experience occupational stress when compared to the general population, and COVID-19 has exacerbated this stress. The nature of their duties as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and medics exposes them to repeated trauma, increasing their risk of developing a broad array [...] Read more.
First responders disproportionately experience occupational stress when compared to the general population, and COVID-19 has exacerbated this stress. The nature of their duties as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and medics exposes them to repeated trauma, increasing their risk of developing a broad array of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder (SUD), and compassion fatigue. This paper describes the need for resources for frontline workers and provides a framework for creating and implementing resources. A team of interdisciplinary subject matter experts developed two major resources. The first resource was a 24/7 helpline to support first responders and healthcare workers experiencing substance use or mental health concerns. The second resource was the First Responders Educational Campaign, which developed and delivered focused training modules on useful topics covering substance use and mental health concerns as they pertain to this workforce. Utilizing core interprofessional principles, content was sourced from multiple disciplines and contrasting perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of mental health and substance use issues. The curriculum was designed so that the content was interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and accessible to audiences across disciplines and professions. After engaging more than 1500 individuals, resources developed here have augmented mental health and substance use support resources available to the target population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care during COVID-19 Pandemic)
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17 pages, 543 KiB  
Article
COVID-19 Racism and Chinese American Families’ Mental Health: A Comparison between 2020 and 2021
by Charissa S. L. Cheah, Huiguang Ren, Xiaoli Zong and Cixin Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5437; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085437 - 7 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2818
Abstract
This study compared rates of multiple forms of COVID-19 racism-related discrimination experiences, fear/worries, and their associations with mental health indices among Chinese American parents and youth between 2020 and 2021. Chinese American parents of 4- to 18-year-old children and a subsample of their [...] Read more.
This study compared rates of multiple forms of COVID-19 racism-related discrimination experiences, fear/worries, and their associations with mental health indices among Chinese American parents and youth between 2020 and 2021. Chinese American parents of 4- to 18-year-old children and a subsample of their 10- to 18-year-old adolescents completed surveys in 2020 and 2021. A high percentage of Chinese American parents and their children continued to experience or witness anti-Chinese/Asian racism both online and in person in 2021. Parents and youth experienced less vicarious discrimination in person but more direct discrimination (both online and in person) and reported poorer mental health in 2021 than in 2020. Associations with mental health were stronger in 2021 than in 2020 for parents’ and/or youth’s vicarious discrimination experiences, perceptions of Sinophobia, and government-related worries, but weaker only for parents’ direct discrimination experiences. The spillover effect from parents’ vicarious discrimination experiences and Sinophobia perceptions to all youth mental health indices were stronger in 2021 than in 2020. Chinese American families experienced high rates of racial discrimination across multiple dimensions, and the detrimental impacts on their mental health were still salient in the second year of the pandemic. Vicarious and collective racism may have even stronger negative impacts on mental health and well-being later in the pandemic. Decreasing health disparities for Chinese Americans and other communities of color requires extensive, long-term national efforts to eliminate structural aspects of racism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care during COVID-19 Pandemic)
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10 pages, 332 KiB  
Article
Vulnerability and Agency in the Time of COVID-19: The Narratives of Child and Youth Care Workers in South Africa
by Andile Samkele Masuku, Reggiswindis Thobile Hlengwa, Lindelwa Vernon Mkhize and Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5010; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065010 - 12 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1538
Abstract
In this paper, we use data generated through one-on-one interviews with 12 purposively sampled Child and Youth Care Workers to examine their narratives of work and life-related vulnerabilities and agency during the peak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Our [...] Read more.
In this paper, we use data generated through one-on-one interviews with 12 purposively sampled Child and Youth Care Workers to examine their narratives of work and life-related vulnerabilities and agency during the peak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Our findings show that Child and Youth Care Workers were vulnerable to poor mental health. Indeed, working and socialising during the height of COVID-19 posed a mental toll on the Child and Youth Care Workers in this study, who experienced fear, uncertainty, anxiety and stress. Moreover, these workers faced challenges with working under the so-called new normal, which was instituted as part of a non-pharmaceutical response to slow and curb the spread of COVID-19. Finally, our findings show that Child and Youth Care Workers actively identified and applied specific emotionally-focused and physically-focused coping mechanisms to deal with the burden brought on by the pandemic. The study has implications for CYCWs working during crisis periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care during COVID-19 Pandemic)
18 pages, 402 KiB  
Article
Asian American University Students’ Adjustment, Coping, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Jacqueline Hwang, Yi Ding, Eric Chen, Cixin Wang and Ying Wu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4162; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054162 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1677
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak caused global disruptions in all aspects of life. Social distancing regulations were enforced in an attempt to halt virus spread. Universities across the country closed for in-person instruction and activities, transitioning to remote learning. University students faced unprecedented challenges and [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 outbreak caused global disruptions in all aspects of life. Social distancing regulations were enforced in an attempt to halt virus spread. Universities across the country closed for in-person instruction and activities, transitioning to remote learning. University students faced unprecedented challenges and stressors, especially Asian American students due to COVID-19-associated xenophobic attitudes, harassment, and assault against people of Asian complexions. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences, coping, stress, and adjustment of Asian American students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analyses were conducted on the survey responses of 207 participants (n = 103 Asian American university students, n = 104 non-Asian American students) from a larger-scale study, which focused on adaptation to the university, perceived stress, ways of coping, and COVID-19-specific factors. A series of independent samples t tests and regression analyses showed significant relationships between some university adjustment factors, ways of coping methods, and race with perceived stress and COVID-19 factors. Implications, limitations, and ideas for future directions in research are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care during COVID-19 Pandemic)
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