Mental Health Challenges in the Post Pandemic Era
Keywords:
Mental Health, COVID-19, Post-Pandemic Era, Anxiety, Panic, Psychological Impact, World Health Organization (WHO)Abstract
The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on mental health has been well documented. But in the latter stages of the epidemic and after its formal conclusion, very few research looked into mental health. Furthermore, not much is known about the psychological toll that the pandemic and various post-pandemic global issues have had on individuals. This article reviews the many research that have been conducted on mental health concerns in the post-pandemic era. It came to the conclusion that a worldwide mental health crisis has been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, placing additional burden on already brittle support networks, especially in low- and middle-income (LMIC) nations. More stress is experienced by mental health professionals (MHPs), and treatment efforts are hampered by pervasive misinformation. People and families have been profoundly impacted by the loss of organised settings like businesses and schools, particularly women and young people. There are many people who have persistent symptoms of depression, anxiety, and panic. Psychological anguish is higher in vulnerable populations, such as individuals with metabolic diseases. Long-term mental health risks must be reduced, and post-pandemic psychological resilience must be promoted, by ensuring continuity of treatment via telepsychiatry, focused therapies, and comprehensive legislative changes.
References
[1] S. Le Vigouroux, B. Chevrier, L. Montalescot, and E. Charbonnier, "Post-pandemic student mental health and coping strategies: A time trajectory study," J. Affect. Disord., vol. 376, no. August 2024, pp. 260-268, 2025,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.007
[2] J. Prakash, P. Ghosh, S. Chaudhury, and K. Srivastava, "Nurturing mental health in the postpandemic era," Ind. Psychiatry J., vol. 33, 2024,https://doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_139_24
[3] P. F. L. Iraís, P. T. M. Edén, and R. T. Erika, "Post-pandemic depression, anxiety, and stress: A look at the mental health of medical and administrative staff," Acta Psychol. (Amst)., vol. 253, 2025,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104706
[4] A. C. D. S. Costa et al., "Mental health in the post COVID-19 era: future perspectives," Einstein (Sao Paulo)., vol. 20, no. 3, p. eCE6760, 2022,https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2022CE6760
[5] N. Kathirvel, "Post COVID-19 pandemic mental health challenges," Asian J. Psychiatr., vol. 53, p. 102430, 2020,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102430
[6] D. S. Singh, N. Parveen, D. R. Tiwari, and M. V. K. Tiwari, "Study on the Role of HR Managers in Risk Revolving Around COVID-19," Int. J. Innov. Sci. Eng. Manag. Study, vol. 3, no. 2, 2024,doi: 10.69968/ijisem.2024v3si2301-305.
[7] V. Bollettino et al., "COVID-19-related mental health challenges and opportunities perceived by mental health providers in the Philippines," Asian J. Psychiatr., vol. 84, no. April, p. 103578, 2023,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103578
[8] M. Farfán-Latorre et al., "Mental Health in the Post-Pandemic Period: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Peruvian University Students upon Return to Face-to-Face Classes," Sustain., vol. 15, 2023,https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511924
[9] D. B. B. Kotikalapudi and D. S. Sheibani, "Analysis of Depression in Married Women: A Quantitative Exploration of PHQ-9 Responses on Neuropathogenesis," Int. J. Innov. Sci. Eng. Manag., vol. 4, no. 1, 2025,https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2025v4i1234-240
[10] R. Vadivel et al., "Mental health in the post-COVID-19 era: Challenges and the way forward," Gen. Psychiatry, vol. 34, no. 1, 2021,https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2020-100424
[11] G. Thangaswamy, J. Arulappan, S. Anumanthan, and S. Jayapal, "Trends and Determinants of Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications and Strategies to Overcome the Mental Health Issues-A Rapid Review from 2019-2020," Int. J. Nutr. Pharmacol. Neurol. Dis., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1-6, 2021,https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnpnd.ijnpnd_86_20
[12] O. Kiviruusu et al., "Mental health after the COVID-19 pandemic among Finnish youth: a repeated, cross-sectional, population-based study," The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 451-460, 2024,https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00108-1
[13] D. T. L. Shek, "Do Student Mental Health Problems Disappear Over Night in the Postpandemic Era?," J. Adolesc. Heal., vol. 74, no. 6, pp. 1066-1067, 2024,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.01.037
[14] N. K. Magorokosho, A. Heraclides, E. Papaleontiou-Louca, and M. Prodromou, "Evaluation of Resilience and Mental Health in the 'Post-Pandemic Era' among University Students: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study," Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 21, no. 7, 2024,https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070825
[15] X. Ning, X. Luo, and S. Guo, "Researching into Chinese university students' mental health in the post-pandemic era - problems and causes," Front. Psychol., vol. 15, no. June, 2024,https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1393603
[16] C. Chen, G. Nibbio, and Y. Kotozaki, "Editorial: Cognitive and mental health improvement under- and post-COVID-19," Front. Psychol., vol. 16, 2025,https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1565941
[17] Z. Yang, "Rising Adolescent Mental Health Challenges in Post-Pandemic Era: A Comparative Analysis of Its Influential Factors in China and the U.S.," Int. Conf. Humanit. Educ. Soc. Sci., no. Ichess, 2024,https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-323-8
[18] M. Reutter et al., "Mental health improvement after the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with psychological distress," Sci. Rep., vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1-11, 2024,https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55839-3
[19] J. M. Cho et al., "New-onset mental disorders increase among patients with metabolic diseases after the COVID-19 pandemic," Sci. Rep., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1-14, 2025,https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99280-6
[20] I. Zrnić Novaković et al., "Mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic-a longitudinal study over 42 months in five European countries," Eur. J. Psychotraumatol., vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 1-14, 2025,https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2488700
[21] F. Badinlou, F. Rahimian, M. Hedman-Lagerlöf, T. Lundgren, T. Abzhandadze, and M. Jansson-Fröjmark, "Trajectories of mental health outcomes following COVID-19 infection: a prospective longitudinal study," BMC Public Health, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1-11, 2024,https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17997-x
[22] S. Jamshaid et al., "Pre-and Post-Pandemic (COVID-19) Mental Health of International Students: Data from a Longitudinal Study," Psychol. Res. Behav. Manag., vol. 16, pp. 431-446, 2023,https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S395035
[23] C. A. Ladole and K. S. Takalkar, "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Among the General Population: A Narrative Review," J. Clin. Diagnostic Res., vol. 17, no. 9, 2023,https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2023/60409.18428
[24] J. Xiong et al., "Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review," J. Affect. Disord. J., vol. 277, no. January, 2020.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001