Psychological and Social Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic and Vaccine Nationalism: Implications for Psychological Services in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The study examined the literature on Psychological and Social Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccine Nationalism: Implications for Psychological Services in Sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers used secondary data and mixed method of data collection for the study. On line searching tools, including: African Journals Online, PsycINFO, African Index Medicus, Eastern Mediterranean Index Medicus, PubMed, and Web of Knowledge were used to search for the data used for the study. The results indicated that, the most exposed and vulnerable groups, including: children, college students, health workers, and other frontline professionals, are more likely to develop psychological symptoms, including: post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of distress. Furthermore, the results showed that, the pharmacological and non-pharmacological protocols, put in place to checkmate the Covid-19 pandemic, including: physical and social distancing, travel restrictions, hand washing and sanitizer, wearing of face mask, coughing under a curved elbow and other security measures have impacted people’s psychological well-being and interpersonal relationships, as well as their perception of empathy toward others. Also, covid-19 and vaccine nationalism have implications on how psychologists and other health care workers manage the pandemic. Psychologists and other frontline health workers have shifted from more traditional-conventional methods of interventions to unconventional methods, using technologies. In doing so, telepsychology and other technological devices assume very important roles in combatting psychological and social impacts of covid-19 pandemic and vaccine nationalism. Findings indicates that, the use of technologies have proved to be very effective, because both clients and health professionals can still participates in scheduled therapeutic sessions unhindered using online technological tools. In doing so, technologies have improve the professionals’ psychological interventions and social support skills during the pandemic. Also, technologies have made it possible for psychologists and other health professionals to meet clients’ needs working from home or from the workplace, thereby saving money and time and maintaining the interpersonal relationship between therapists and clients. Therefore, it was concluded that, the use of technologies by health professionals should continue even after the pandemic.

Keywords: Psychological impacts; social impacts; COVID-19 Pandemic; Vaccine Nationalism; Psychological Services