Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on mental health among the general population in Poland and on the availability of psychological support. Issue 1 (2nd January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Paczkowska, Anna; Nowakowska, Elżbieta; Michalska, Joanna; Ficner, Hubert; Tyrchniewicz, Joanna; Szymański, Aleksander; Wańkowicz, Kamil; Namyślak, Kacper; Gala, Anna; Sulimiera Michalak, Sylwia; Bryl, Wiesław; Michalak, Michał
• Is Part Of: Psychology, health & medicine. Volume 28:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 179
• Page End: 188
• Publication Date: 2023-01-02
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic -- mental health -- psychological support -- public health; Medicine and psychology -- Periodicals; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2061719
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-8506

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The objective of this paper was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Poles and the availability of psychiatric and psychological support during the pandemic. A prospective, cross-sectional web-based survey design was adopted. It was carried out on a sample of 1080 Polish citizens above 18 years old. The majority of Poles (70%) experienced symptoms of mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep disturbance (63.79%), anxiety (48.79%), low mood for most of the day (44.63%), sadness, tearfulness (41.29%), and concentration disorders (35.93%) were the mental disorder symptoms reported most often by the survey subjects. To reduce the potential acute and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, decision-makers of the Polish health system should implement stepped multilevel and multi-target psychological support services.