Download or read book Community Series in Mental Illness, Culture, and Society: Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, volume VIII written by Mohammadreza Shalbafan and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-06-21 with total page 708 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted many areas of our lives, including mental health. Lockdown and physical distancing measures have been one major effective intervention to counter the spread of the virus and reduce the impact of the disease. However, they have negatively impacted mental well-being and behaviors, either triggering the onset of new psychiatric symptoms and diseases or amplifying pre-existing ones. The pandemic and lockdown measures have also been associated with reduced access to treatment and facilities all over the world, further worsening mental health outcomes. The impact on mental health, although universal, varied between nations. Cultural and societal variables, including norms, values, religion, and stigma have played an important role in shaping COVID-19-related mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, grief, psychosis, and addiction. These sociocultural factors have also molded how mental health interventions are tailored and provided. Highlighting the intertwining relationship between the pandemic, mental health, and sociocultural factors are essential to managing emerging mental health symptoms adequately.