Addressing psychological resilience during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a rapid review

Purpose of review The mental health toll on populations exposed to COVID-19 is alarming, and there is a need to address this with urgency. This current review provides insights on how individuals, communities, and specific populations, such as healthcare workers and patients are leveraging pre-COVID-19 and peri-COVID-19 factors to reinforce their psychological resilience during the global public health crisis. Recent findings Examination of the extant literature indicated that populations around the world rely often on support from their loved-ones, closed significant others, outdoor and physical activities, and spirituality to cope with the COVID-19-related distress. Increased sense of meaning/purpose since the COVID-19 pandemic was also reported. A portion of publications provided intervention models to reinforce resilience among specific populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, it is not convincing that some of these models can be applied universally. Additionally, it is important to note that in this category, translational data was scarce.

Automated summary

The mental health impact of COVID-19 on populations is significant, prompting an urgent need for interventions. This review discusses how individuals and communities leverage pre-existing factors to enhance their psychological resilience during the pandemic. Findings show that social support, outdoor activities, spiritual beliefs, and a sense of meaning have been important coping mechanisms for populations globally. While some intervention models have been proposed, their universal applicability remains uncertain, and there is a lack of translational data in this area.