Pyschosocial Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2020. As the case in previous pandemics, COVID-19 has had significant adverse social, psychological and economic effects on people across the globe. The purpose of this chapter is to consider the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on society resulting from lifestyle changes, including social isolation due to lockdown, social distancing, and the wearing of masks, as well as behavioural changes, including alterations in shopping habits, remote working, and distance education. We provide a literature review utilising previous scientific research and various media tools. On the basis of this review, we argue that the new conditions have resulted in many different adverse psychosocial effects, including anxiety, stress, obsessive behaviours, depression, loneliness, stigmatisation, and hoarding, although individuals experience these effects to varying degrees. Implications for their amelioration and directions for future research are outlined.