PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Due to the rapid spread of the Covid-19 virus among people and the lack of an effective treatment, the World Health Organization declared this situation as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. According to WHO data, as of February 2022, a total of more than 430 million confirmed cases and approximately 6 million deaths were reported. Restrictive measures have been implemented in many countries as an attempt to slow the spread of the epidemic during the COVID-19 process. While some countries have implemented strict "isolation" regulations, many have made "stay at home" recommendations. In many places, transportation was stopped, public spaces were closed, and only essential services continued to operate, albeit with preventive measures. However, as the contagious aspect of the pandemic is focused, an increase in mental health disorders has also been observed. In this context, in this study, it is aimed to briefly examine COVID-19 first and then to examine its psychological effects in the light of the literature.