Nikos Tsoukalis-Chaikalis, Sophiia Faye Demsia, Dimitrios Chaniotis and Frangiskos Chaniotis
The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic constitutes a major health crisis affecting numerous nations, with over 82,994,220 cases and 1,810,360 confirmed deaths reported to date. Such widespread outbreaks are associated with adverse mental health consequences. Hence, it is important to understand the extent and impact of these challenges. In this study, we conducted a Systematic Mapping Study for collecting, cataloguing, and classifying research activities that explore the phycological impact of COVID-19, including anxiety, depression, and stress which seem to be common psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two key research areas were explored as part of our literature review: a) observational studies, reporting on mental health symptoms in particular populations, and b) commentaries and review articles, addressing the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general population, the healthcare workers, and the high-risk populations. There is the need for a more systematic research approach which could consider associated factors and confounders, such as demographics, sociocultural and health outcomes.
