Mental Health Challenges in COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

Despite the uncertainty in the development of the pandemic, the negative impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the population, both the direct effect of the virus and the measures taken to control its spread, have been widely reported. [...]symptoms of COVID-19 may persist even after the acute phase of the disease, which has been coined “long covid”.5 Many mental health[-] related symptoms of long covid, such as cognitive impairment, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and mood symptoms, may be related to the impact of the virus on the central nervous system.5 A significant proportion of survivors have reported one or more symptoms of long covid that have a major impact on their health and functioning.6 The scientific communities are trying to unravel the mechanisms of long covid. The development of mental health services and other healthcare services tailored to the needs of COVID-19 survivors is urgently needed to reduce the potential long-term public health impact.