Mental health interventions implemented in the COVID-19 pandemic: what is the evidence?

Moreira, Wanderson Carneiro; Sousa, Kayo Henrique Jardel Feitosa; Sousa, Anderson Reis de; Santana, Thiago da Silva; Zeitoune, Regina Célia Gollner; Nóbrega, Maria do Perpétuo Socorro de Sousa

OBJECTIVE to map the evidence on mental health interventions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD this scoping review was carried out in the MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Science Direct databases and in the medRxiv, bioRxiv, and PsyArXiv preprints servers using the descriptors "Covid-19", "coronavirus infection", "coronavirus", "2019-nCoV", "2019 novel coronavirus disease", "SARS-CoV-2", "health personnel", "general public", and "mental health". RESULTS eight articles were selected and categorized into mental health interventions for the population, among which mental health interventions were for people diagnosed with suspicion/confirmed COVID-19 and mental health interventions for health professionals. CONCLUSION telemonitoring, virtual games and strategies focused on social support and muscle relaxation techniques, characterized as non-pharmacological and low-cost, were shown as interventions, which, since they are effective, need to be encouraged and included in mental health care practices.