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The Psychological Sequelae of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychological Processes, Current Research Ventures, and Preparing for a Post-Pandemic World

Authored By: Paluszek, M. M., Landry, C. A., Taylor, S., & Asmundson, G. J. G.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about tremendous global change and filled the world with fear and uncertainty. Research has shown that the way that people react to these emotions can influence both the spread of infectious disease, and the worsening or development of significant mental health problems. There is an urgent need to learn more about these responses and related psychological characteristics to help clinicians, health-care professions, and policy makers minimize the mental and physical costs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to this need, this paper provides a review of the psychology of pandemics applied to the COVID-19 pandemic, including information about the authors’ ongoing research program that is working to fill gaps in this research body. The paper concludes by offering readers a variety of predictions about the ways in which daily life could change following the pandemic especially for those directly affected by the virus, such as those who were infected and the frontline health-care workers who treated them.

The authors warn that existing mental health-care structures are ill-equipped to respond to the unique needs of people affected by COVID-19 and that if appropriate action is not taken, a surge of mental health problems are expected to follow the wake of this pandemic. To help overcome this growing concern, the authors offer guidance about possible remediation strategies for clinicians, policy makers, and health-care practitioners alike.

Lay summary written by Julia Mason

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