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The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a disaster that has impacted lives globally. The purpose of this paper is to understand the linkage between COVID-19 and its impact on mental health. To reach this aim, we reviewed the literature on COVID-19 and mental conditions. Based on the literature, we identified COVID-19 as an unexpected, large-scale event that disrupted communities and caused death, destruction and trauma which upended normal existence. For mental conditions, effects of the pandemic are likely to manifest in different ways: development of symptoms in previously healthy individuals, new episodes in those with predisposition to mental disorders and development of symptoms that do not meet diagnostic criteria. The level of mental health problems varies depending on the stage of the pandemic, country, population groups and types of conditions. This also applies to the level of suicide, although suicides do not seem to have increased during the pandemic. Yet, we identified a net of factors contributing to mental conditions, in general. These factors include demographic factors (e.g. female gender, younger and older age), social factors (e.g. economically disadvantaged), mental factors (e.g. pre-existing mental conditions) and relationship factors (e.g. stressful relationship, lack of relationships). Additionally, we identified COVID-19-specific factors such as threat to own life and threat to life of loved ones, containment measures and interruption of services and social life. We further explored potentially additional suicide-related risk factors. Regardless of differences, health care and psychosocial systems were in many countries not prepared to respond to a viral disaster. Viral disaster requires that responses not only include direct care but also responses to populations that may need support due to known determinants of mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance abuse is a growing public mental health issue. Recent data from Global Burden of Disease study demonstrate that age standardized DALYs rate attributed to drug use disorders has increased by 25% in age group of 25-49 years during 1990-2019 (Lancet 2020; 396 1204-22). Standardized DALY rate due to alcohol use disorders reduced by 1/5 in this age group during the last 30 years, however it remains among the top 20 causes leading to greatest losses of DALYs in this age group. European countries persist to have high burden of diseases due to substance abuse. Social ecological model enables to structure individual, family, community and broader societal risk factors for substance abuse in specific groups within society. Some European countries (e.g. Germany) face increased migration especially from the war affected countries like Syria. Respective refugees and migrants may demonstrate higher substance abuse (alcohol and drug abuse) prevalence as an outcome of traumatic exposures and reflect the attempts to escape past and present experiences. In other countries (e.g. Lithuania), who still reflect transitional societies, substance abuse rates remain high due to psychosocial stress and structural barriers to implement effective prevention. Identification of risk factors may alleviate targeted and tailored prevention. The aim of the workshop is to systematize substance abuse risk factors in specific population groups based on socio-ecological framework applying different methodological approaches. There is a knowledge gap in culturally sensitive and translated into different languages instruments which assess substance use in refugee populations, especially from the Arabic countries. Therefore, a systematic review results on culturally sensitive substance abuse screening and assessment instruments among refugee populations will be presented. The qualitative study conducted in Germany will provide findings and insights on substance abuse perceptions among Syrian migrants and refugees. Understanding the explanatory model of Syrian refugees could inform future interventions to prevent substance abuse and design tailored interventions. Assessment of the behavioral risk factors related to injecting dug use in Lithuanian population using respondent driven sampling technique will be presented. Identifying individual and social risk factors may lead to targeted and effective prevention. Key messages Context specific knowledge of substance use is necessary for prevention including past and present factors. As refugee populations continue to grow, adequate screening instruments for substance abuse/dependence are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the first International Public Mental Health Conference held on June 30 and July 1, 2017 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Topics covered include the burden of mental disorders in the Eastern European countries, the concept of population mental health, and the need for psychiatry and public mental health innovation to integrate the approaches and overcome barriers and mistrust.