Abstract
The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is extensively spreading all over
the world, causing unprecedented hazards to mental health globally. The global
pandemic of COVID-19 has been strongly impacting humanity and continues to
influence all segments of the population since its origin. While dealing with such a
public health crisis, past experiences have witnessed generalised public fear and
anxieties due to uncertainty, causality and lack of public health preparedness.
Therefore, it is important to acknowledge the detrimental effect of COVID-19 on the
mental health of individuals of different age groups. This chapter aims to explore the
impact of this unprecedented atmosphere on the mental health of the elderly, healthcare
workers, children, adolescents and young people, pre-existing mental health conditions,
post COVID-19 patients, women, homeless people and refugees. The chapter presents
the direct and indirect psychological impact of COVID-19 on the genera at the
individual, societal and public health levels. It will discuss at length some emerging
concepts of the causal routes of mental disorders and suggest some strategies to prevent
and promote mental health problems in individuals during this crisis. For the general
population at large, just like physical effects, it is important to address the impact of
COVID-19 on mental health effects as well. Various studies reported that mental
problems such as anxiety, depression and fear of getting infected were common among
people of all age groups who responded to COVID-19. The important lessons to be
learned so far can help to devise individual mental health recommendations, as well as
improved interventions and preventions of public health approaches.