Mental health interventions implemented in the COVID-19 pandemic: what is the evidence?

Rev Bras Enferm. 2021 Jun 11;74(suppl 1):e20200635. doi: 10.1590/0034-7167-2020-0635. eCollection 2021.
[Article in English, Portuguese]

Abstract

Objective: to map the evidence on mental health interventions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: this scoping review was carried out in the MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Science Direct databases and in the medRxiv, bioRxiv, and PsyArXiv preprints servers using the descriptors "Covid-19", "coronavirus infection", "coronavirus", "2019-nCoV", "2019 novel coronavirus disease", "SARS-CoV-2", "health personnel", "general public", and "mental health".

Results: eight articles were selected and categorized into mental health interventions for the population, among which mental health interventions were for people diagnosed with suspicion/confirmed COVID-19 and mental health interventions for health professionals.

Conclusion: telemonitoring, virtual games and strategies focused on social support and muscle relaxation techniques, characterized as non-pharmacological and low-cost, were shown as interventions, which, since they are effective, need to be encouraged and included in mental health care practices.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemics*
  • SARS-CoV-2