Psychology Meets Biology in COVID-19: What We Know and Why It Matters for Public Health. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jones, Emily J.; Ayling, Kieran; Wiley, Cameron R.; Geraghty, Adam W.A.; Greer, Amy L.; Holt-Lunstad, Julianne; Prather, Aric A.; Schreier, Hannah M.C.; Silver, Roxane Cohen; Sneed, Rodlescia S.; Marsland, Anna L.; Pressman, Sarah D.; Vedhara, Kavita
• Is Part Of: Policy insights from the behavioral and brain sciences. Volume 10:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 40
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: viral susceptibility -- psychosocial factors -- vaccine efficacy -- psychosocial stress -- social connection -- loneliness -- COVID-19; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Brain -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Periodicals; Behavioral Sciences; Public Policy; Brain; Human behavior; Political planning; Periodicals; Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1177/23727322221145308
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2372-7322

Abstract

Psychosocial factors are related to immune, viral, and vaccination outcomes. Yet, this knowledge has been poorly represented in public health initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides an overview of biopsychosocial links relevant to COVID-19 outcomes by describing seminal evidence about these associations known prepandemic as well as contemporary research conducted during the pandemic. This focuses on the negative impact of the pandemic on psychosocial health and how this in turn has likely consequences for critically relevant viral and vaccination outcomes. We end by looking forward, highlighting the potential of psychosocial interventions that could be leveraged to support all people in navigating a postpandemic world and how a biopsychosocial approach to health could be incorporated into public health responses to future pandemics.