TY - JOUR T1 - Mental health in the post-COVID-19 era: challenges and the way forward JF - General Psychiatry JO - Gen Psych DO - 10.1136/gpsych-2020-100424 VL - 34 IS - 1 SP - e100424 AU - Ramyadarshni Vadivel AU - Sheikh Shoib AU - Sarah El Halabi AU - Samer El Hayek AU - Lamiaà Essam AU - Drita Gashi Bytyçi AU - Ruta Karaliuniene AU - Andre Luiz Schuh Teixeira AU - Sachin Nagendrappa AU - Rodrigo Ramalho AU - Ramdas Ransing AU - Victor Pereira-Sanchez AU - Chonnakarn Jatchavala AU - Frances Nkechi Adiukwu AU - Ganesh Kudva Kundadak Y1 - 2021/02/01 UR - http://gpsych.bmj.com/content/34/1/e100424.abstract N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious threat to global mental health. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that there is a varying yet considerable increase in mental health issues among the general population and vulnerable groups.1 2 The aftermath is obscure and speculative from a social, economic, individual and public mental health perspective. Recently published studies support the existence of an emotional epidemic curve, describing a high probability of an increase in the burden of mental health issues in the postpandemic era.3 4 Furthermore, previous major public health emergencies showed that more than half of the population developed mental health problems and required mental health intervention.4 5 There is, therefore, an urgent need to reorganise existing mental health services to address the current unmet needs for mental health and to prepare for future challenges in the postpandemic era in terms of prevention and management.The current evidence and published literature related to previous epidemics suggest that mental health issues may arise after the peak of the pandemic, with increased prevalence among the vulnerable population and people with risk factors (box 1).4 The surge in mental health issues may remain untreated or undiagnosed due to interrupted mental health services and other challenges for mental health services in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.Box 1 Mental health issues, vulnerable population and risk factorsMental health issues: including grief reactions, substance use disorders, anxiety, sleep disorders, depression, suicides, post-traumatic stress disorders, panic disorders.4,25,26New-onset mental health issues: due to COVID-19-related stress, fear and loneliness; enduring neuropsychiatric symptoms or disorders (eg, acute ischaemic stroke, headache, dizziness, ataxia, delirium and seizures) of COVID-19 infection due to cytokine storms.27Relapse of pre-existing mental illness: due to reduced access to therapeutic resources, disruption of therapies, service provision and social support.4 10Suicides: due to neuropsychiatric manifestations … ER -