Mental Health Challenges among Post-Pandemic Populations: A Multidisciplinary Analysis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted physical well-being, but also the mental one, leaving a complicated structure of psychological problems that are still present among the world populations. The present work relies on the secondary information gathered in the peer-reviewed literature, the world health reports, and the clinical surveys to investigate the prevalence of post-pandemic mental healthcare problems, their nature, and their determinants. The results reveal that there is a strong rise in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disturbances among the various age groups and socio-economic backgrounds. Some of the contributing factors are long-term social isolation, economic instability, loss grief, daily routine disruption, and an increase in uncertainty regarding the future. There is also an indication that the vulnerable groups such as healthcare personnel, elderly, and people with pre-existing mental illness are overly impacted. To deal with short- and long-term effects of the pandemic-induced psychological distress, it is recommended to use multidisciplinary interventions that would include psychological support, community engagement, telehealth services, and policy-level mental health planning. This paper highlights the importance of international concerted efforts to reduce the mental health impact of post-pandemic societies.