The COVID-19 pandemic has been the single most disruptive and epoch-defining public health event of the last 100 years. In addition to infecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands in the United States alone, it has violently disrupted the global economy and wrought a level of destruction that would have been unimaginable at the beginning of 2020.  

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Though the death toll and economic pain that it has caused is staggering, there will be a multitude of long-term effects for individuals, the mental health industry, and society as a whole. Coping with COVID-19: Medical, Mental and Social Consequences of the Pandemic explores these lasting implications and how they will impact the mental health of individual patients and present public health challenges for years to come. Virtually everyone has been affected by the pandemic in some way, whether they contracted the virus or not. Many lost loved ones due to the virus or associated complications; many continue to experience the symptoms due to long COVID; and many more are struggling to cope with the stress of a protracted crisis, prolonged social isolation, and the inability to resume normal activities and routines. Meanwhile, those who were already struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, major depressive disorders, and substance use disorders have confronted an exacerbation of symptoms, as well as major changes to how they receive care due to social distancing guidelines.  

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Given these challenges, the mental and physical strain of living through the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt by millions of Americans for years to come. Coping with COVID -19 documents the virus’ symptomology, examines available data about its direct and indirect effects on wellbeing, and explores how the pandemic exacerbated underlying sociological issues that have plagued the U.S. and the world for decades. The book also considers some of the ethical implications that the pandemic raised for clinicians and citizens, as well as how we might better prepare for the next major viral outbreak.