Stress resilience during the coronavirus pandemic

TLDR

COVID‑19 is a global emergency with severe mental‑health consequences, and resilience is essential for coping with stress and maintaining balance. The authors aim to emphasize the urgent need to prioritize resilience during the pandemic, addressing its importance for individuals, society, psychiatric patients, and healthcare workers. They discuss this priority by outlining the role of resilience and proposing strategies to strengthen it, drawing on ECNP Resilience expertise. The article concludes that enhancing resilience is critical for mental‑health outcomes during COVID‑19 and calls for immediate implementation of resilience‑building strategies.

Abstract

The epidemic of the 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency with multifaceted severe consequences for people's lives and their mental health. In this article, as members of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Resilience, we will discuss the urgent need for a focus on resilience during the current coronavirus pandemic. Resilience is pivotal to cope with stress and vital to stay in balance. We will discuss the importance of resilience at the individual and societal level, but also the implication for patients with a psychiatric condition and health care workers. We not only advocate for an increased focus on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic but also highlight the urgent need of augmenting our focus on resilience and on strategies to enhance it.