Psychology Meets Biology in COVID-19: What We Know and Why It Matters for Public Health

Jones, Emily J.; Ayling, Kieran; Wiley, Cameron R.; Geraghty, Adam W.A.; Greer, Amy L.; Holt-Lunstad, Julianne; Prather, Aric A.; Schreier, Hannah M.C.; Silver, Roxane Cohen; Sneed, Rodlescia S.; Marsland, Anna L.; Pressman, Sarah D.; Vedhara, Kavita

Abstract

Psychosocial factors are related to immune, viral, and vaccination outcomes. Yet, this knowledge has been poorly represented in public health initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides an overview of biopsychosocial links relevant to COVID-19 outcomes by describing seminal evidence about these associations known prepandemic as well as contemporary research conducted during the pandemic. This focuses on the negative impact of the pandemic on psychosocial health and how this in turn has likely consequences for critically relevant viral and vaccination outcomes. We end by looking forward, highlighting the potential of psychosocial interventions that could be leveraged to support all people in navigating a postpandemic world and how a biopsychosocial approach to health could be incorporated into public health responses to future pandemics.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 24, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Mar 15, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Deposit Date: Mar 23, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 23, 2023
• Journal: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
• Print ISSN: 2372-7322
• Electronic ISSN: 2372-7330
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 33-40
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322221145308
• Keywords: viral susceptibility, psychosocial factors, vaccine efficacy, psychosocial stress, social connection, loneliness, COVID-19
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/18812940
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23727322221145308