Managing life during the pandemic: communication strategies, mental health, and the ultimate toll of the COVID-19

Background/aim: The purpose of this review was to present the ultimate toll of the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on the communication strategies and mental health. Materials and methods: We unsystematically reviewed the studies published between 2020 and 2021 from databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. Firstly, “new-normal” life challenges during the pandemic were discussed along with the public risk communication strategies. Later, mental health problems, posttraumatic growth, and protective factors were reviewed. Results: Literature highlighted that individuals mainly experience COVID-19 related fear, anxiety, stress, negative emotions and sleep problems. Furthermore, the rates of clinically significant depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder suggest an increase. Specifically, COVID-19 stress syndrome, loneliness, and sleep problems were associated with mental health problems in the pandemic. However, some individuals seem to be resilient to the COVID-19 trauma and experience posttraumatic growth. Brief online intervention studies are promising for reducing the emotional toll of the COVID-19 as well as for making individuals more resilient. Conclusion: To conclude, the negative conditions of the pandemic seem to make some people, but not all, vulnerable to mental illness. In addition, framing the public warnings in an optimal emotional tone seems to be more effective to comply with the precautions.