Mental health planning at a very early stage of the COVID-19 crisis: a systematic review of online international strategies and recommendations

Abstract

Background Mental health care systems have been dramatically affected by COVID-19. Containment measures have been imposed, with negative consequences on population mental health. Therefore, an increase in both symptomatology and mental disorder incidence is expected. This research aims to identify, describe and assess the empirical background on online strategies and recommendations developed by international organizations and governments to cope with the psychological impact of COVID-19 at a very early stage of the pandemic. Methods The PRISMA guidelines were adapted to review online documents. A new questionnaire was developed to identify the existence of common patterns in the selected documents. Questions were classified into three domains: COVID-19 information, mental health strategies and mental health recommendations. A two-step cluster analysis was carried out to highlight underlying behaviours in the data (patterns). The results are shown as spider graphs (pattern profiles) and conceptual maps (multidimensional links between questions). Results Twenty-six documents were included in the review. The questionnaire analysed document complexity and identified their common key mental health characteristics (i.e., does the respondent have the tools for dealing with stress, depression and anxiety?). Cluster analysis highlighted patterns from the questionnaire domains. Strong relationships between questions were identified, such as psychological tips for maintaining good mental health and coping with COVID-19 (question n° 4), describing some psychological skills to help people cope with anxiety and worry about COVID-19 (question n° 6) and promoting social connection at home (question n° 8). Conclusions When fast results are needed to develop health strategies and policies, rapid reviews associated with statistical and graphical methods are essential. The results obtained from the proposed analytical procedure can be relevant to a) classify documents according to their complexity in structuring the information provided on how to cope with the psychological impact of COVID-19, b) develop new documents according to specific objectives matching population needs, c) improve document design to face unforeseen events, and d) adapt new documents to local situations. In this framework, the relevance of adapting e-mental health procedures to community mental health care model principles was highlighted, although some problems related to the digital gap must be considered.

Active Coping and Anxiety Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spanish Adults

“…Similarly, two of the coping styles, the active and the avoidant methods, were also associated in the expected way with the manifestations of anxiety. Both methods accurately represent the use of functional (active method) and dysfunctional (avoidant method) coping, so these results are similar to those found in the reviewed literature [19,28,31].…”

“…Furthermore, coping has been demonstrated to be a key factor for psychological well-being and mental health issues during the COVID-19 era, with problem-focused coping strategies, cognitive reappraisal, social support and avoidant coping strategies along with other coping resources such as meaning in life and social connectedness as the most commonly used coping strategies [19,20,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. A review [31] has found that all the guidelines for coping with mental problems derived from COVID-19 included tips for maintaining good mental health, descriptions of a variety of psychological skills to help people cope with their anxiety and worries and the promotion of interpersonal connection at home to generate social support. Nevertheless, the role of coping for emotional distress during this crisis has been scarcely investigated.…”

Mental Health Needs Assessment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Consensus Based on Delphi Study

“…Several studies ( 39 – 43 ) have so far suggested different activities, measures, and recommendations to address mental health challenges during the pandemic, but to the best of our knowledge, none has used a scientifically supported method, such as the Delphi technique. The results of our Delphi study are in line with the international guidelines ( 44 ) using the existing knowledge about the problem from reports and scientific databases ( 45 ), whereas in our study, the Delphi-based consensus was used, i.e., an open and thorough discussion with stakeholders to highlight the essential activities according to the recognized needs in mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify various systemic and service measures that need to be addressed. Based on the results, the recognized needs in mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic are as follows ( Figure 2 ): (1) Professional level: better management (coordinated work of mental health councils and local health action groups for accessible, needs-based support) and quality (addressing highly professional support through adequate educational programs and supervisions).…”

Further Adaptations and Reflections by an Assertive Community Treatment Team to Serve Clients with Severe Mental Illness During COVID-19

“…For staff with proper training, virtual methods can enhance care if staff members help ensure social connections and reinforce digital infrastructures to reduce gaps in understanding. (Almeda et al, 2021 ).…”