Special Issue "Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health"

Deadline for Submission : Nov 30 2025

Theme: The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound and lasting effects on mental health globally. This special issue aims to compile research that explores the multifaceted impact of COVID-19 on mental health, including increased prevalence of anxiety and depression, effects on specific populations such as children and frontline workers, and the effectiveness of various coping and intervention strategies. We welcome original research articles, reviews, case studies, and meta-analyses that provide new insights into this critical issue.

Topics of Interest: We invite submissions on a wide range of topics related to the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, including but not limited to:

  • Prevalence of Mental Health Issues: Studies examining the increase in anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders during the pandemic.
  • Impact on Specific Populations: Research focusing on children, adolescents, healthcare workers, elderly individuals, and other vulnerable groups.
  • Coping Strategies and Resilience: Investigations into effective coping mechanisms, resilience factors, and psychological interventions during the pandemic.
  • Telehealth and Remote Therapy: The role and effectiveness of telehealth in providing mental health services during lockdowns and social distancing measures.
  • Long-term Mental Health Effects: Studies exploring the enduring mental health consequences of the pandemic and implications for future public health strategies.
  • Policy and Public Health Interventions: Analysis of policy responses and public health strategies to mitigate the mental health impact of COVID-19.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal’s guidelines.
  • All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer review process.

Important Dates:

  • Manuscript Submission Deadline: November 30th 2025

Submission Link: Please submit your manuscripts through our submission portal.

For any inquiries, please contact editor@mentalhealthjournal.org.

References:

  1. World Health Organization (WHO): The impact of COVID-19 on mental health cannot be made light of
  2. Mayo Clinic: Mental health and COVID-19
  3. WHO: COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide
  4. National Institutes of Health (NIH): Mental Health and COVID-19
  5. UNICEF: Impact of COVID-19 on children’s mental health

By focusing on these critical areas, this special issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and contribute to the development of effective interventions and policies.

COVID-19, Mental health, Anxiety, Depression, Telehealth, Public health, Resilience, Coping strategies, Vulnerable populations


Published Papers

University Student Stress and Behavioral Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Higher education students have experienced increased stressors and behavioral health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study further investigated such phenomena in a sample of university students collected between June 2020 to December 2021. Students (N = 1,441) from a Mid-Atlantic public university were recruited via email lists and a psychology department research participant pool. The participants completed an online survey with items pertaining to demographic factors, biopsychosocial stressors, and measures of behavioral health functioning. All variables were examined descriptively, and regression analyses were used to examine hypothesized cross-sectional relationships between demographic factors and biopsychosocial stressors, on the one hand, and behavioral health functioning, on the other. Experiencing notable levels of biopsychosocial stressors was common, though a linear trend across semesters was not observed with respect to behavioral health functioning. Gender was the most consistent demographic predictor of behavioral health functioning, whereas the most common biopsychosocial stressor predictors for behavioral health functioning were stress/worry, social isolation, discrimination, and prior mental health services. Results corroborate and extend prior research evidencing notable levels of biopsychosocial stressors and behavioral health problems reported by higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for campus administrators and behavioral health providers concern vulnerabilities for a range of pandemic-time challenges being experienced by their constituents to which to attend.

DOI: 10.29245/2578-2959/2025/1.1328 View / Download Pdf

A Post-Pandemic Wellness Experiences Scale: Demographic Variation and Influences on Depression

We developed a post-pandemic wellness scale (PPWS) to help understand some of the specific reasons why the pandemic may have differentially impacted the mental health of people from various sociodemographic groups. With an initial sample of 404 adults (74.3% White) collected in 2021 and in close proximity to the pandemic, we established adequate fit for a four-factor model of post-pandemic experiences including financial stress, social stress, and existential stress, and positive reframing experiences, which each predicted depression in the expected directions. In this initial sample, we found some evidence of race-based differences in post-pandemic experience as they related to mental health. In the interest of replicating these findings with more robust samples of non-White racial and ethnic groups, we collected a second sample of 462 adults (26% White) in 2024. Although we failed to replicate our race-based findings, we were able to verify the fit of the four-factor model. Moreover, some exploratory findings related to participant demographics were consistent across sample cohorts, including the influences of age and gender on post-pandemic experiences. In addition, all four PPWS subscales continued to predict depression in the expected directions. Thus, in two samples assessed in proximity to and more distally from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, we find evidence for the psychometric stability and predictive validity of our scale for mental health. We expect this scale to be useful to future researchers and clinicians attending to the pervasive impact of the pandemic on mental health and wellbeing.

DOI: 10.29245/2578-2959/2025/1.1332 View / Download Pdf