{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T20:46:52Z","timestamp":1792097212711,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769731200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed profound social\u2013psychological vulnerabilities and strengths across societies worldwide. Beyond its immediate health implications, the pandemic has triggered a wave of mental health issues, disrupted social cohesion, and challenged community resilience. This paper synthesizes the current literature, critically discusses five recent studies as part of the Special Issue \u201cMental Health Consequences of COVID-19: The Role of Social Determinants\u201d, and articulates an agenda for future research within a social\u2013psychological framework. Moving beyond mere negative effects such as anxiety, this review highlights the role of resilience, prosocial behavior, (digital) mental health interventions, and community social capital. Correspondingly, I advocate for interdisciplinary efforts to enhance awareness, preparedness, and adaptive capacity during health crises, emphasizing the need for a clearer focus on vulnerable social groups. In sum, recognizing the evolving global landscape, this work underscores the urgency of integrating psychological insights into public health policies to build resilient societies capable of confronting future pandemics and health emergencies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23020179","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T17:38:34Z","timestamp":1769794714000},"page":"179","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Social\u2013Psychological Consequences of COVID-19: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2570-2928","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jasper","family":"Van Assche","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Social & Cultural Psychology (CESCUP), Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium"},{"name":"Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"594","DOI":"10.1111\/bjso.12395","article-title":"To punish or to assist? Divergent reactions to ingroup and outgroup members disobeying social distancing","volume":"59","author":"Politi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Br. J. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2020.08.001","article-title":"Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review","volume":"277","author":"Xiong","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1700","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)02143-7","article-title":"Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"398","author":"Santomauro","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.1027\/1016-9040\/a000460","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on the majority population, ethno-racial minorities, and immigrants","volume":"26","author":"Politi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1007\/s11150-020-09534-7","article-title":"Gender differences in couples\u2019 division of childcare, work and mental health during COVID-19","volume":"19","author":"Zamarro","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rev. Econ. Househ."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110236","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pnpbp.2020.110236","article-title":"Younger people are more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression during COVID-19 pandemic: A global cross-sectional survey","volume":"109","author":"Varma","year":"2021","journal-title":"Prog. Neuro Psychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1002\/ejsp.2420090207","article-title":"Social comparison and group interest in ingroup favouritism","volume":"9","author":"Turner","year":"1979","journal-title":"Eur. J. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Haslam, C., Jetten, J., Cruwys, T., Dingle, G., and Haslam, S.A. (2018). The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315648569"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110534","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2020.110534","article-title":"No man is an island: Psychological underpinnings of prosociality in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak","volume":"171","author":"Politi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Personal. Individ. Differ."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6405","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-023-04829-1","article-title":"Does threat trigger prosociality? The relation between basic individual values, threat appraisals, and prosocial helping intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"43","author":"Politi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1029","DOI":"10.1037\/a0015141","article-title":"Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations","volume":"96","author":"Graham","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Personal. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.59.1.20","article-title":"Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events?","volume":"59","author":"Bonanno","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1111\/cdev.12205","article-title":"Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth","volume":"85","author":"Masten","year":"2014","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marmot, M., and Wilkinson, R. (2005). Social Determinants of Health, OUP.","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780198565895.001.0001"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pedrosa, A.L., Bitencourt, L., Fr\u00f3es, A.C.F., Cazumb\u00e1, M.L.B., Campos, R.G.B., De Brito, S.B.C.S., and Sim\u00f5es e Silva, A.C. (2020). Emotional, behavioral, and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front. Psychol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.566212"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102258","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2020.102258","article-title":"Fear of the coronavirus (COVID-19): Predictors in an online study conducted in March 2020","volume":"74","author":"Mertens","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Anxiety Disord."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jetten, J., Reicher, S.D., Haslam, S.A., and Cruwys, T. (2020). Together Apart: The Psychology of COVID-19, Sage.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781529751680"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12813","DOI":"10.1111\/spc3.12813","article-title":"A global experience-sampling method study of well-being during times of crisis: The CoCo project","volume":"17","author":"Scharbert","year":"2023","journal-title":"Soc. Personal. Psychol. Compass"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kawachi, I., and Berkman, L. (2000). Social cohesion, social capital, and health. Social Epidemiology, Oxford Academic.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195083316.003.0008"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hwang, S., and Shin, H. (2023). Gender gap in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: A decomposition analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20032250"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Domos\u0142awska-\u017byli\u0144ska, K., Krysi\u0144ska-Pisarek, M., and W\u0142odarczyk, D. (2023). Gender-specificity of fatigue and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic\u2014A report on the polish population. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20075407"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Grajek, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., Rozmiarek, M., Sobczyk, K., Dzia\u0142ach, E., G\u00f3rski, M., and Kobza, J. (2022). The level of COVID-19 anxiety among oncology patients in Poland. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191811418"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Thomson, L.J., Spiro, N., Williamon, A., and Chatterjee, H.J. (2023). The impact of culture-, health-and nature-based engagement on mitigating the adverse effects of public health restrictions on wellbeing, social connectedness and loneliness during COVID-19: Quantitative evidence from a smaller-and larger-scale UK survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20206943"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wider, W., Lim, M.X., Wong, L.S., Chan, C.K., and Maidin, S.S. (2022). Should I help? Prosocial behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192316084"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2093","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.1993.00410180039004","article-title":"Stress and the individual: Mechanisms leading to disease","volume":"153","author":"McEwen","year":"1993","journal-title":"Arch. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.2307\/2136676","article-title":"The stress process","volume":"22","author":"Pearlin","year":"1981","journal-title":"J. Health Soc. Behav."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Aczel, B., Szaszi, B., Clelland, H., Kovacs, M., Holzmeister, F., Van Ravenzwaaij, D., Schulz-K\u00fcmpel, H., Hoffmann, S., Nilsonne, G., and Kosa, L. (2025). Investigating the analytical robustness of the social and behavioural sciences. Nature, in press."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"241038","DOI":"10.1098\/rsos.241038","article-title":"The Reliability of Replications: A Study in Computational Reproductions","volume":"12","author":"Breznau","year":"2025","journal-title":"R. Soc. Open Sci."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"Van der Klink, J., and Rothmann, S. (2026). (Cross-)cultural perspectives on the capability model. Capabilities at Work: The Added Value of the Capability Model for Well-Being and Work, Cambridge University Press. in press."},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"Lazarus, R.S., and Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping, Springer."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1939-0025.2010.01067.x","article-title":"The social ecology of resilience: Addressing contextual and cultural ambiguity of a nascent construct","volume":"81","author":"Ungar","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am. J. Orthopsychiatry"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.5334\/pb.465","article-title":"Ethnic diversity, ideological climates, and intergroup relations: A person\u00d7 context approach","volume":"59","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychol. Belg."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"em254","DOI":"10.29333\/ejgm\/8316","article-title":"A proposed framework based on literature review of online contextual mental health services to enhance wellbeing and address psychopathology during COVID-19","volume":"17","author":"Tanhan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Electron. J. Gen. Med."},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"149","article-title":"Technology and mental health: Harnessing digital interventions for support and treatment","volume":"1","author":"Malik","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Psychol. Health Soc. Chall."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"464","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-014-0464-x","article-title":"Disaster media coverage and psychological outcomes: Descriptive findings in the extant research","volume":"16","author":"Pfefferbaum","year":"2014","journal-title":"Curr. Psychiatry Rep."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(20)30168-1","article-title":"Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: A call for action for mental health science","volume":"7","author":"Holmes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"991","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2008.12.047","article-title":"Animal\u2013human connections, \u201cone health,\u201d and the syndemic approach to prevention","volume":"68","author":"Rock","year":"2009","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"ref_38","first-page":"1","article-title":"The determinants of access to healthcare: A review of individual, structural, and systemic factors","volume":"2","author":"Tzenios","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Humanit. Appl. Sci. Res."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nelson, D., Inghels, M., Kenny, A., Skinner, S., McCranor, T., Wyatt, S., Phull, J., Nanyonjo, A., Yusuff, O., and Gussy, M. (2023). Mental health professionals and telehealth in a rural setting: A cross sectional survey. BMC Health Serv. Res., 23.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-023-09083-6"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Thomson, K., Hillier-Brown, F., Todd, A., McNamara, C., Huijts, T., and Bambra, C. (2018). The effects of public health policies on health inequalities in high-income countries: An umbrella review. BMC Public Health, 18.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-018-5677-1"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ma, C., Qirui, C., and Lv, Y. (2023). \u201cOne community at a time\u201d: Promoting community resilience in the face of natural hazards and public health challenges. BMC Public Health, 23.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-023-17458-x"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S41","DOI":"10.1089\/hs.2021.0048","article-title":"Strengthening culturally competent health communication","volume":"19","author":"Feinberg","year":"2021","journal-title":"Health Secur."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1177\/10105395211002656","article-title":"Public understanding and voluntary responsibility to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic: Role of local community organizations in information sharing and health literacy","volume":"33","author":"Abbas","year":"2021","journal-title":"Asia Pac. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2020.1562","article-title":"The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and physical distancing: The need for prevention and early intervention","volume":"180","author":"Galea","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(20)30046-8","article-title":"Timely mental health care for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak is urgently needed","volume":"7","author":"Xiang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kotera, Y., Lyons, M., Vione, K.C., and Norton, B. (2021). Effect of nature walks on depression and anxiety: A systematic review. Sustainability, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/su13074015"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rashidfarokhi, A. (2024). Resilience by whom and for whom? Empowering local communities for community-led resilience-building. Real Estate and Sustainable Crisis Management in Urban Environments, Routledge.","DOI":"10.1201\/9781003474586-3"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/23\/2\/179\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T05:15:33Z","timestamp":1770441333000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/23\/2\/179"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph23020179"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph23020179","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]]}}}