Environmental Aspects of Mental Health and Medical Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and undoubtedly had an impact on mental health and medical care. Added to the fear of contracting the virus in a pandemic such as COVID-19 are the significant changes to our daily lives as our movements are restricted in support of efforts to contain and slow down the spread of the virus. Faced with new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues, it is important that we look after our mental, as well as our physical, health. This has put forward higher requirements for public health care and related measures and policies. This Special Issue specifically, but not exclusively, seeks to study the effect of all environmental factors, including natural, social, and economic environments on public mental health and medical care during this pandemic. We also intend to complete and expand our knowledge of changes in social behavior. It has already been demonstrated that many of these pandemic rules of life have left their mark on interpersonal relationships. To date, not all endogenous personality factors that could potentially be predictors of increased pandemic stress are known. It is important to understand the social mechanisms and behaviors that may modify the intensity of perceived stress. In this aspect, the identification of those constraints that exacerbate pandemic stress seems to be crucial. Therefore, it is particularly important to seek out all methods to effectively combat pandemic stress in its widest sense. Thus, we want to identify any ways to prevent the negative effects of restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Andrzej R. Skrzypczak
Prof. Dr. Piotr Tryjanowski
Guest Editors

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