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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life in Europe and globally. The pandemic affects both individuals and the broader society across many domains, including physical and psychological health, the economy and general welfare. The measures taken to counteract the pandemic have significantly altered daily life and, along with the threat of contracting the coronavirus and uncertainties surrounding future developments, created a complex system of stressors with a negative impact on public mental health. This paper aims to outline the ESTSS strategy to address mental health issues related to COVID-19 and focuses on (1) trauma-informed policies, (2) capacity building, (3) collaborative research and (4) knowledge-exchange. To facilitate implementation of a trauma-informed approach and appropriate measures, ESTSS has developed a toolkit of recommendations on mental health and psychosocial assistance to be provided during the different phases of crisis and its aftermath. To promote capacity building, ESTSS offers a certification programme based on a curriculum in psychotraumatology and corresponding on-line training to the European community of mental health professionals. To assure evidence-based approaches and methods tailored to current circumstances, ESTSS has initiated a pan-European research project with international cooperation aimed at studying the mental health consequences of the pandemic, with a focus on psychological trauma and other stress-related reactions. To foster knowledge-exchange, the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT), the official journal of ESTSS, is publishing a special issue on COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Special Issue of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT) presents 51 articles published between 2021 and 2023 and follows the Special Issue on pandemic-related traumatic stress research published in 2021 (O'Donnell, M. L., & Greene, T. [2021]. Understanding the mental health impacts of COVID-19 through a trauma lens. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1982502). Research on traumatic stress during the pandemic has cast the spotlight on vulnerable populations and groups, notably front-line healthcare workers; people faced with major losses including the deaths of loved ones; those who personally survived debilitating and often life-threatening viral infection; and students who were isolated and experienced profound delays in their education, relationships, and emerging independence. The papers in this collection underscore the associations between COVID-19 related stressors and a plethora of adverse mental health sequelae, including posttraumatic stress reactions, and draw attention to the ubiquity of grief and moral injury and their wide-ranging and detrimental impact. Currently, there is a paucity of evidence on interventions to enhance resources, self-efficacy, and hope for affected groups and individuals through societal, organisational, and healthcare systems; however early research on the prevention of COVID-related traumatic stress disorders provides a basis for both hope and preparedness for the future. Stressors and traumatic events occurring due to the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with a wide range of mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress reactions, especially among vulnerable groups (e.g., front-line healthcare workers, individuals who faced major losses such as the deaths of loved ones, those who survived debilitating and often life-threatening infection). Loss and moral injury are common and potentially debilitating features of the pandemic. Societal, organisational, and healthcare system interventions to enhance resources, efficacy, and hope for affected groups and individuals are still in the early stages, although preliminary research on the prevention of COVID-related traumatic stress disorders is promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2022 was a year of crises, not just one but multiple intersecting crises that caused traumatic stress in billions of people worldwide. COVID-19 is still not over. New wars have started, and the climate change impact is bigger than ever. Will the Anthropocene be an era of continued crises? This past year the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT) has again tried to contribute to how to prevent or treat the consequences of these major crises as well as other events and we will continue to do so the year to come. For instance, we will have special issues or collections addressing these big issues, such as climate change and traumatic stress, or early intervention after trauma or in times of conflict. In this editorial, we also present the past year's excellent journal metrics regarding reach, impact, and quality and the ESTSS EJPT award finalists for best paper of 2022 and look forward to 2023. 2022 was a year of multiple intersecting crises causing traumatic stress to billions of people around the world. European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT) aims to contribute to how to understand, prevent or treat the consequences of these major crises. EJPT's editorial team again achieved excellent journal metrics regarding reach, impact, and quality in 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides insights into the mental health consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from the Central, Eastern, Nordic, Southern, and Western subregions of Europe, represented by five member countries of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). On the basis of the existing national research and experiences in these countries, we propose five lessons learned. (1) There is no evidence of a mental health pandemic so far in the countries in focus. No increase in severe mental disorders but some increase in the symptoms of common mental health disorders are observable. More high-quality longitudinal studies are needed to understand the mental health burden of the pandemic. (2) The pandemic affects countries (including the mental health situation) differently, depending on the level of the exposure, management policies, pre-pandemic structural characteristics, and healthcare resources. (3) The pandemic affects people differently: the exposure severity to pandemic-related stressors differs between individuals, as well as individual resources to cope with these stressors. There are winners and losers as well as identifiable at-risk groups that need particular attention. (4) Besides the negative consequences, the pandemic has had a positive impact. The rapidly applied innovations within the system of healthcare responses provide a window of opportunity for positive changes in mental healthcare policies, strategies, and practices. The increased focus on mental health during the pandemic may contribute to the prioritization of mental health issues at policy-making and organizational levels and may reduce stigma. (5) A stress- and trauma-informed response to COVID-19 is required. The European community of psychotraumatologists under the leadership of ESTSS plays an important role in promoting stress- and trauma-informed healthcare and policies of pandemic management. Based on the lessons learned, we propose a stepped-care public mental health model for the prevention of adverse mental health outcomes during pandemics. Population mental health is affected differently in the COVID-19 pandemic: there are winners and losers, as well as identifiable at-risk groups that need particular attention. A stress- and trauma-informed public mental health stepped-care model can address pandemic-related mental health burden in a systematic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontline healthcare workers, recovered COVID+ patients who had severe illness, and close others of COVID+ patients who have recovered or died are at risk for clinical levels of mental health symptoms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESTORE (Recovering from Extreme Stressors Through Online Resources and E-health) was specifically designed for this context. RESTORE is a transdiagnostic guided online intervention adapted from evidence-based cognitive-behavioural therapies. RESTORE was designed to address depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms associated with exposure to COVID-19-related traumatic and extreme stressors, and to overcome multiple barriers to accessing psychotherapies. This paper describes the intervention components and platform, as well as the principles used to develop RESTORE. Current research and future directions in developing and testing RESTORE are outlined. Preliminary data from an initial uncontrolled trial evaluating RESTORE in frontline healthcare workers is highly promising. We believe RESTORE has great potential to provide accessible, evidence-based psychological intervention to those in great need. RESTORE is a transdiagnostic online intervention adapted from evidence-based cognitive-behavioural therapies designed to address mental health symptoms related to exposure to COVID-19-related traumatic and extreme stressors, and to overcome barriers to accessing psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT) presents the first studies published by EJPT on COVID-19. We present 26 qualitative and quantitative studies assessing the prevalence of trauma-related symptoms and psychopathology within specific vulnerable populations such as health-care workers, students, children, and managers, or more broadly at a country level with a diverse set of outcomes including post-traumatic stress, moral injury, grief and post-traumatic growth. Intervention studies focus on whether telehealth delivery of mental health therapy in the pandemic environment was useful and effective. It is clear that the pandemic has brought with it a rise in trauma exposure and consequently impacted on trauma-related mental health. While for many individuals, COVID-19-related events met criteria for a DSM-5 Criterion A event, challenges remain in disentangling trauma exposure from stress, anxiety, and other phenomena. It is important to determine the contexts in which a trauma lens makes a useful contribution to understanding the mental health impacts of COVID-19 and the ways in which this may facilitate recovery. The papers included in this Special Issue provide an important and much-needed evidence-based foundation for developing trauma-informed understanding and responses to the pandemic. Early trauma research published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology focused on the prevalence of trauma-related mental health symptoms. Many studies identified vulnerable populations where a trauma lens was useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder (ATPD) (ICD-10) is characterized by the sudden onset of psychotic symptoms and can be triggered by psychological stress. In the ICD-10 definition of ATPD, episodes are short-term, lasting from days to three months, followed by complete remission. This paper reports the case of a 37-year-old woman with stress-induced new-onset psychosis instigated by fear of coronavirus infection. Physical examinations, paraclinical testing, and neuroimaging excluded an organic cause of symptoms. A thorough anamnestic investigation excluded the presence of other concomitant stress factors as the trigger of the patient's psychotic symptoms. In response to the COVID-19 lockdown, the patient developed excessive concern about coronavirus infection and, consequently, sleeping difficulties. Symptoms intensified, and she was admitted to the psychiatric ward, presenting with hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and disorientation. The clinical picture fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of an Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder. After one week of antipsychotic treatment, her symptoms had remitted, and the patient was discharged. Albeit, four months after treatment discontinuation, her psychotic symptoms re-emerged, and she was readmitted. The patient recovered from symptoms within 48 hours of treatment initiation with antipsychotics. She later reported to have been stressed and anxious while awaiting her coronavirus test result and, following, had doubted the negative result. The present case supports previous reports describing the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on population mental health; the psychological stress caused by the fear of infection can lead to the debut of psychotic manifestations and ATPD. Psychological traumas can trigger the onset of an Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder. The COVID-19 pandemic can juxtapose psychological trauma. Thus, the pandemic exhibits a potential threat to population mental health of both the vulnerable and healthy individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most disasters that have been studied, the underlying dangerous cause does not persist for very long. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic a progressively emerging life threat remains, exposing everyone to varying levels of risk of contracting the illness, dying, or infecting others. Distancing and avoiding company have a great impact on social life. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has an enormous economic impact for many losing work and income, which is even affecting basic needs such as access to food and housing. In addition, loss of loved ones may compound the effects of fear and loss of resources. The aim of this paper is to distil, from a range of published literature, lessons from past disasters to assist in mitigating adverse psychosocial reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. European, American, and Asian studies of disasters show that long-term social and psychological consequences of disasters may compromise initial solidarity. Psychosocial disruptions, practical and financial problems, and complex community and political issues may then result in a 'second disaster'. Lessons from past disasters suggest that communities and their leaders, as well as mental healthcare providers, need to pay attention to fear regarding the ongoing threat, as well as sadness and grief, and to provide hope to mitigate social disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although COVID-19 is a major worldwide health threat, there is another global public health emergency that is becoming a growing challenge. Domestic violence is a public health and human rights issue that primarily affects women and children worldwide. Several countries have reported a significant increase in domestic violence cases since the COVID-19-induced lockdowns and physical distancing measures were implemented. The COVID-19 health crisis is exacerbating another pre-existing public health problem by increasing the severity and frequency of domestic violence, thus demonstrating the need to adopt significant and long-term measures. Objective: Therefore, it is urgently necessary to promote and increase actions and policies to guarantee the safety and dignity of all victims of domestic violence worldwide. Methods: This paper describes preventive measures and action plans to combat violence against women and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The prevention of domestic violence must indeed be every government's priority and every citizen's responsibility. • Violence against women 45 and children (VAWC) is a global health issue with important physical and psychological consequences. • COVID-19 is associated 50 with increased VAWC worldwide. • COVID-19 outbreak is anopportunity to take longlasting preventive actions of 55 VAWC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]