Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health

Abstract

The purpose of the present monograph is to provide a compilation of studies that demonstrate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of various groups of the population in Iberoamerican countries. The nine articles of this special issue analyse subjects such as isolation due to confinement, post-traumatic stress derived from exposure to the coronavirus, the differences in the level of well-being according to social class, the increase of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, the effect of the infection on psychological disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, the increase of anxiety symptoms and the resulting greater demand for psychological care, the effects of healthcare pressure on burnout experienced by healthcare workers, and the role of self-forgiveness and compassion in relation to personal growth and life satisfaction during the pandemic. In sum, this special issue is a sample of the scientific evidence on how this unusual crisis is affecting citizens' psychological health.