Psychological challenges and coping strategies during COVID-19 in 2020: A systematic review
List of Authors
  • Anne Nivethya Harini Kilivanan , Darlina Hani Fadil Azim , Manissha Vijayan

Keyword
  • Psychological Challenges, Coping Strategies, COVID-19, Mental Health, Well-being.

Abstract
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has been found to have a major negative impact on mental health. This systematic review aims to synthesise the research findings on the psychological challenges faced by adults during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic with a specific interest in the coping strategies used. The following electronic resources were searched: (PubMed, COCHRANE, APA PsycINFO, and MEDLINE) in August 2020. Two researchers independently screened 63 potentially relevant full-text articles. Following the PRISMA systematic screening guide, 26 articles consisting of 23 quantitative studies, 2 qualitative studies, and 1 mixed-method study met the inclusion criteria that were set and were subsequently selected for the final review. A high prevalence of anxiety (16.92% - 65%), depression (11% - 72.6%), stress (10% - 24.67%), and sleep disorders (20.6%- 88.34%) was reported among the public due to various causes related to the outcome of the pandemic. Considerable heterogeneity in methods of prevalence reporting was seen. The coping strategies used by healthcare workers (n=8), the general population (n=16), and college students (n=2) to mitigate the psychological challenges were grouped into three main categories namely, adaptive (n=17), maladaptive (n=11), and general (n=4). This review suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with high levels of psychological challenges. The coping strategies used varied from person to person. Hence, more studies need to be conducted to identify how effective the coping strategies used are in the long term.

Reference
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