Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 in India: The Challenges and Responses

Abstract

The first-ever global outbreak of COVID-19 has been intensely impacting humanity and continues to affect all segments of the population since its origin While dealing with such public health emergencies, the past experiences have testified generalised public fear and anxieties due to uncertainty, fatality, and lack of public health preparedness. The aim of the article is to explore the impact of this unprecedented environment on mental health of individuals and communities in its current magnitude. It will discuss at length some emerging concepts of the causal pathways of mental distress/disorders and suggest strategies to prevent and promote mental health in individuals during this crisis. For the general population at large, the mental health effects of COVID-19 are as important to address as are the physical health effects.