Psychological Insights for Understanding Covid-19 and Health


Book Description

With specially commissioned introductions from international experts, the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series draws together previously published chapters on key themes in psychological science that engage with people’s unprecedented experience of the pandemic. In this volume on health, Dominika Kwasnicka and Robbert Sanderman introduce chapters that explore the crucial topics of health behaviour change, wellbeing, stress, and coping. They highlight the key role digital health technologies can play in how we manage health conditions, and how we facilitate change to help individuals manage stressful situations such as physical isolation, job loss, and financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic. The volume also offers an important overview of environmental and policy-based approaches to health behaviour change and addresses the highly relevant issues of identity and trust and how they shape the health of individuals, communities, and society. Highlighting theory and research on these key topics germane to the global pandemic, the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series offers thought-provoking reading for professionals, students, academics, and policymakers concerned with psychological consequences of COVID-19 for individuals, families, and society.




Learning from SARS


Book Description

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in late 2002 and 2003 challenged the global public health community to confront a novel epidemic that spread rapidly from its origins in southern China until it had reached more than 25 other countries within a matter of months. In addition to the number of patients infected with the SARS virus, the disease had profound economic and political repercussions in many of the affected regions. Recent reports of isolated new SARS cases and a fear that the disease could reemerge and spread have put public health officials on high alert for any indications of possible new outbreaks. This report examines the response to SARS by public health systems in individual countries, the biology of the SARS coronavirus and related coronaviruses in animals, the economic and political fallout of the SARS epidemic, quarantine law and other public health measures that apply to combating infectious diseases, and the role of international organizations and scientific cooperation in halting the spread of SARS. The report provides an illuminating survey of findings from the epidemic, along with an assessment of what might be needed in order to contain any future outbreaks of SARS or other emerging infections.




Physical Activity and Pandemics


Book Description

The pandemic of COVID-19 has caused public health-related, and economic consequences regarding lifestyles. Due to social distancing strategies, physical inactivity has increased in various societies, which might lead to an increase in the burden of non-communicable diseases in long term. The health benefits of physical activity consist of a wide range, including physical, mental, and social dimensions. Therefore, this book discusses whether engaging in regular physical activity is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection, reducing the severity of symptoms, reducing mortality, or eliminating COVID-19 complications. The book will serve as a practical guideline for public health experts and physicians. It covers COVID-19 and physical inactivity prevalence in different regions, physical activity and risk of COVID-19 infection, physical activity and course of COVID-19 infection including disease severity, hospitalization rate, ICU admission, and mortality, physical activity as a vaccine booster in different populations, post- COVID-19 physical rehabilitation, and strategies for enhancing physical activity in the COVID-19 pandemic.




Mental Health Effects of COVID-19


Book Description

The physical effects of COVID-19 are felt globally. However, one issue that has not been sufficiently addressed is the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens worldwide are enduring widespread lockdowns; children are out of school; and millions have lost their jobs, which has caused anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress. Mental Health Effects of COVID-19 provides a comprehensive analysis of mental health problems resulting from COVID-19, including depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, trauma, and PTSD. The book includes chapters detailing the impact of COVID-19 on the family’s well-being and society dynamics. The book concludes with an explanation on how meditation and online treatment methods can be used to combat the effects on mental health. Discusses family dynamics, domestic violence, and aggression due to COVID-19 Details the psychological impact of COVID-19 on children and adolescents Includes key information on depression, anxiety, and suicide as a result of COVID-19







Coping with COVID-19


Book Description

Coping with COVID-19: The Medical, Mental, and Social Consequences of the Pandemic provides readers with unique and timely insights about the single most disruptive and epoch-defining public health event of the last 100 years. Written in an easy-to-read and accessible style, widely respected psychiatrist and author Dr. Samoon Ahmad explores both the science of the virus and the lasting psychological, clinical, and professional implications of the pandemic in two well-organized parts. The first part of the book examines the historical precedents of pandemics, as well as the virology and symptomology of SARS-CoV-2. The second part covers the broader effects of the pandemic on society with special consideration being given to its impact on public health policy, the medical industry, and the individual psychology of children and adults.







Surviving Lockdown


Book Description

2020 has been the year of the virus, and it will not be a mere footnote in history. This book reflects on the unprecedented changes to our lives and the impact on our behaviour as we lived through social isolation during the global COVID-19 pandemic. From sociable creatures of habit, we were forced into a period of uncertainty, restriction and risk, physically separated from families and friends. Packed with guidance and coping strategies for lockdown, this book, authored by top psychologist David Cohen, explores the impact of this widespread quarantine on our relationships, our children, our mental health and our daily lives. Benedictine monks, hermit popes, Dorothy Sayers, Daniel Defoe (who made the isolated Robinson Crusoe a hero), Sigmund Freud and a rabbi’s angry dog are all among the cast of characters as we are taken on a whistle-stop tour through plagues in history and brain science, to the importance of introspection and how to make meaning from lockdown. In his trademark entertaining style, Cohen examines the psychology behind our behaviour during this unusual time to discover what we can learn about human nature, what lessons we can learn for the future – and whether we will apply them.