Dear Colleagues,

The fast and uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, has led to a global health crisis that has shaken the foundations of the social security and stability that is a feature of many Western countries.

The pandemic has led to the infection of 115 million people and a death toll in excess of 2.5 million people worldwide. The health, economic and social effects on the population are still not fully known.

In particular, many studies now predict significant negative effects on the mental health of the population. Many stressors are associated with the situation of a pandemic: the loss of family and friends, with the inability to accompany them through their illness or even to say goodbye to them; actually suffering from the disease or experiencing the suffering of close family members, together with the associated consequences of this; the imposition of restrictive measures unknown to most of the population until now, limiting freedoms and causing isolation; the threat of job losses and business failures; uncertain diagnoses and long waits to take diagnostic tests; constant exposure to information on the pandemic; and the acceptance of contingency measures.

All these stressors cause great psychological distress in the population. Feelings of insecurity, fear, burnout, confusion, irritability, frustration, boredom, loneliness and stigma have become common as a result of the situation, as have certain mental health problems that may have been caused by or aggravated by these states, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, sleep disorders and disorders resulting from substance abuse.

In this Special Issue, we invite submission of original research articles and state-of-the-art reviews focused on the psychological distress and panic suffered by the population during the global pandemic. It is necessary to assess the results of major studies being conducted in different countries in order to collate the most prominent manifestations of psychological distress and panic responses in subjects. A deeper understanding of the mental health consequences of COVID-19 on the population will enable the development and implementation of more effective interventions and the preparation of preventive programmes for the future.

Prof. Dr. Javier García-Campayo
Prof. Dr. Yolanda López del Hoyo
Guest Editors

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• COVID-19
• pandemic
• psychological distress
• panic
• sadness
• anxiety
• fear
• depression