Psycho-social impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries: a scoping review

Abstract

Background/Objectives: One of the recent pandemics that has ravaged the world is the coronavirus popularly known as COVID-19, which is a large family of viruses known to cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory tract infection. There is no doubt that the fear of COVID-19 pandemic with its resultant lockdown effects on the social environment may impact the psycho-social health or well-being of individuals, communities or societies, with variations on regional or country-specific geographic. This paper examined views, reports and experiences from developing countries considering that the definition of pandemics takes a geographic perspective. The paper examined the typologies of psycho-social impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the research was to conduct a scoping literature review of the psycho-social impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries of the world. Design/Method: This study was a scoping review of the related literature review conducted using search engines to review grey and published literature. Results: A total of 1,236 articles that discussed COVID-19 were retrieved, out of which 1,197 were excluded based on the predetermined criteria. Only 39 articles met the inclusion criteria, focusing on psychosocial impact studies that were conducted in developing countries. COVID-19 pandemic accompanied by a partial or total lockdown instigated psycho-social disorders across in thirty (31) developing countries. The following 17 typologies/dimensions of psycho-social disorder due to COVID-19 were identified: Sleeping problems, depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, frustration, psychosomatic disorders, loneliness, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, fear, worry, aggression, post-traumatic stress disorder, confusion, stigmatization and discrimination, helplessness, irritability and denial. Conclusion: COVID-19 is a global problem that came as a shock to the entire world. Many protocols were reeled out to prevent the continuous spread of the pandemic. The protocols and the pandemic itself came with enormous psycho-social problems, many of which have been reviewed in this piece. COVID-19 caused a lot of psycho-social consequences or disorders among individuals and households.Governments should integrate psycho-social support interventions in the COVID-19 health packages.