In Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Van den Cruyce and colleagues present the results of a Delphi study among 148 psychosocial experts (representatives of mental health care professionals, patients, and informal caregivers). The study finds a robust agreement among Belgian experts that the pandemic has increased social inequalities, which increase the risk of long-term psychosocial problems. In addition, the experts agree that the fear for contamination itself is putting additional mental strain on society. Furthermore, the experts indicate a lack of strategic vision regarding psychosocial care as well as an underestimation of the importance of psychosocial health in society. The study identifies a number of vulnerable populations and unmet needs. 

The full article is available via: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-021-01008-0