Coronavirus pandemic and impacts on mental health: an integrative literature review

Abstract

In pandemic scenarios, such as COVID-19, the disruption of the infection chain is fundamental for the protection of the population's health. This process can be achieved through the adoption of measures to restrict human contact, such as isolation, quarantine and social distance. Although based on scientific findings and necessary to contain the advancement of COVID-19, social isolation measures can have an impact on the mental health of the population. In this sense, this research aims to evaluate scientific production regarding the impacts of the quarantine resulting from COVID-19 on mental health. It is an integrative review of the scientific literature, carried out through the exploration in the PubMed and Virtual Health Library (BVS) databases, in the period of March 2020. In these databases, the keywords were used: COVID -19 and psychological consequences, COVID-19 and psychological impact of quarantine, 10 articles were obtained, of which 4 articles were included in the analysis after excluding duplicate articles and literature reviews, 3 from PubMed and 1 from the BVS. The results suggest a high frequency of reports of reactions and symptoms possibly associated with mental disorders, such as complaints of anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, panic, loneliness, anguish, obsession and compulsion, among others. It was evident that risk groups such as the elderly and people with chronic diseases were more likely to develop mental disorders. In addition, analyzes of the impact of coronavirus on the psychological dimension can support the construction of interventions based on promotion, prevention and treatment in mental health.