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Background: Disease outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic give rise to high levels of psychological distress in people worldwide. Since this is the first pandemic of its kind, the best available evidence is needed on what psychological needs could be expected during and after the pandemic. Objectives: In this scoping review existing research on traumatogenic events is examined in order to identify the potential impact on mental health of the COVID pandemic. The research findings are organized using the the phases of disaster response model. Results: A total of 34 longitudinal studies, 2 studies with multiple waves of data collection and 92 cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies included in this scoping review could be classified as: 87 studies on COVID-19, 2 on SARS, 19 on wars, 19 on terrorist attacks and 1 on a nuclear accident. Results indicate that stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, insomnia, denial, anger, grief and fear can be anticipated as common reactions. The longer a pandemic continues, the higher the psychological strain is expected to be. Conclusions: The phases of response to disaster model offers a valid frame to unravel the impact of the pandemic on mental health over time. Specific attention must be given to vulnerable groups, whereby specific risk factors include age, gender, pre-existing mental health problems, healthcare profession, migration background, isolation and low socio economic status. However, these may change over time, and a delayed manifestation of psychosocial problems needs to be considered too. Mental health governance is, therefore, warranted throughout and even up to 6 months after the pandemic.

Covid-19 has had a big impact on many aspects of our life, including mental health. Since the start of the pandemic, a whole body of Belgian research has been performed on the relation between covid-19 and mental health (care). The mental health & covid-19 working group of the superior health council lists these studies in order to provide advice to policy makers and the general public. The first advisory report focused on international literature on contagious outbreaks, since not many studies on covid-19 and, especially, not many Belgian studies were published yet. This advice can be found here: https://www.health.belgium.be/en/report-9589-mental-health-and-covid-19 As part of the work performed in the first advisory report, the Policy Coordination Working group has asked the Superior Health Council to list all Belgian studies investigating the relation between covid-19 and mental health and/or mental health care and to provide regular updates. The superior Health Council, therefore, started the project of the Belgian mental health data repository. This repository will consist of ongoing studies, preliminary results, accepted and published articles with a Belgian population. For each study, an overview will be given of the authors (including contact details), level of evidence and a short description of the study. The Belgian Mental Health Data Repository will allow for other researchers, policy makers, health care providers and the general public to have a better idea of and easier access to the mental health studies in Belgium. Additionally, more in-depth analyses across studies can be facilitated leading to better insights into the impact of covid-19 on mental health. An update of the living document will be published weekly. Below the Eight version of the living document can be found.

In this scientific advisory report, which offers guidance to public health policy makers, the Superior Health Council of Belgium provides recommendations on psychosocial care during the COVID-19 pandemic for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems and their family.

In this scientific advisory report, which offers guidance to public health policy-makers, the Superior Health Council of Belgium provides recommendations on psychosocial care during the COVID-19 pandemic for children and young people.

Covid-19 has had a big impact on many aspects of our life, including mental health. Since the start of the pandemic, a whole body of Belgian research has been performed on the relation between covid-19 and mental health (care). The mental health & covid-19 working group of the superior health council lists these studies in order to provide advice to policy makers and the general public. The first advisory report focused on international literature on contagious outbreaks, since not many studies on covid-19 and, especially, not many Belgian studies were published yet. This advice can be found here: https://www.health.belgium.be/en/report-9589-mental-health-and-covid-19 As part of the work performed in the first advisory report, the Policy Coordination Working group has asked the Superior Health Council to list all Belgian studies investigating the relation between covid-19 and mental health and/or mental health care and to provide regular updates. The superior Health Council, therefore, started the project of the Belgian mental health data repository. This repository will consist of ongoing studies, preliminary results, accepted and published articles with a Belgian population. For each study, an overview will be given of the authors (including contact details), level of evidence and a short description of the study. The Belgian Mental Health Data Repository will allow for other researchers, policy makers, health care providers and the general public to have a better idea of and easier access to the mental health studies in Belgium. Additionally, more in-depth analyses across studies can be facilitated leading to better insights into the impact of covid-19 on mental health. An update of the living document will be published weekly. Below the Seventh version of the living document can be found.

Covid-19 has had a big impact on many aspects of our life, including mental health. Since the start of the pandemic, a whole body of Belgian research has been performed on the relation between covid-19 and mental health (care). The mental health & covid-19 working group of the superior health council lists these studies in order to provide advice to policy makers and the general public. The first advisory report focused on international literature on contagious outbreaks, since not many studies on covid-19 and, especially, not many Belgian studies were published yet. This advice can be found here: https://www.health.belgium.be/en/report-9589-mental-health-and-covid-19 As part of the work performed in the first advisory report, the Policy Coordination Working group has asked the Superior Health Council to list all Belgian studies investigating the relation between covid-19 and mental health and/or mental health care and to provide regular updates. The superior Health Council, therefore, started the project of the Belgian mental health data repository. This repository will consist of ongoing studies, preliminary results, accepted and published articles with a Belgian population. For each study, an overview will be given of the authors (including contact details), level of evidence and a short description of the study. The Belgian Mental Health Data Repository will allow for other researchers, policy makers, health care providers and the general public to have a better idea of and easier access to the mental health studies in Belgium. Additionally, more in-depth analyses across studies can be facilitated leading to better insights into the impact of covid-19 on mental health. An update of the living document will be published weekly. Below the Sixth version (update 5) of the living document can be found.

Covid-19 has had a big impact on many aspects of our life, including mental health. Since the start of the pandemic, a whole body of Belgian research has been performed on the relation between covid-19 and mental health (care). The mental health & covid-19 working group of the superior health council lists these studies in order to provide advice to policy makers and the general public. The first advisory report focused on international literature on contagious outbreaks, since not many studies on covid-19 and, especially, not many Belgian studies were published yet. This advice can be found here: https://www.health.belgium.be/en/report-9589-mental-health-and-covid-19 As part of the work performed in the first advisory report, the Policy Coordination Working group has asked the Superior Health Council to list all Belgian studies investigating the relation between covid-19 and mental health and/or mental health care and to provide regular updates. The superior Health Council, therefore, started the project of the Belgian mental health data repository. This repository will consist of ongoing studies, preliminary results, accepted and published articles with a Belgian population. For each study, an overview will be given of the authors (including contact details), level of evidence and a short description of the study. The Belgian Mental Health Data Repository will allow for other researchers, policy makers, health care providers and the general public to have a better idea of and easier access to the mental health studies in Belgium. Additionally, more in-depth analyses across studies can be facilitated leading to better insights into the impact of covid-19 on mental health. An update of the living document will be published weekly. Below the fourth update of the living document can be found.

Covid-19 has had a big impact on many aspects of our life including mental health. Since the start of the pandemic, a whole body of research has been performed on the relation between covid-19 and mental health (care). The mental health (care) working group of the Superior Health Council has performed a systematic review of national and international peer reviewed studies to generate recommendations to policy makers and the general public. In the first advisory report, published in May 2020, the focus was put on international literature about contagious outbreaks, given the fact that not many covid-19 studies were published yet. The literature was then discussed within a multidisciplinary expert group and transformed into policy advice. This advice can be found here: https://www.health.belgium.be/en/report-9589-mental-health-and-covid-19 In a second advice, an update of the literature review was performed, focusing specifically on peer reviewed literature about covid-19. In this update, predominantly, studies about the first wave of the pandemic were analyzed and transformed into policy advice. Within this living document the findings from the national and international peer-reviewed literature review will be linked to the findings stemming from the data in the Belgian Mental Health (Care) Data Repository (cf. living document I) in order to permit contextualization and/or translation to the Belgian context, whenever necessary, or to further validate the international research findings. This document will be updated regularly, on a weekly basis to begin with.

As part of the work performed in the first advisory report, the Policy Coordination Working group has asked the Superior Health Council to list all Belgian studies investigating the relation between covid-19 and mental health and/or mental health care and to provide regular updates. The superior Health Council, therefore, started the project of the Belgian mental health data repository. This repository will consist of ongoing studies, preliminary results, accepted and published articles with a Belgian population. For each study, an overview will be given of the authors (including contact details), status (ongoing, published,..), different methodological factors used in the study (e.g. type of population, type of data collection, …) and a short description of the study. The Belgian Mental Health Data Repository will allow for other researchers, policy makers, health care providers and the general public to have a better idea of and easier access to the mental health studies in Belgium. Additionally, more in-depth analyses across studies can be facilitated leading to better insights into the impact of covid-19 on mental health. An update of the living document will be published weekly.