Objective: The coronavirus disease pandemic has been posing as a serious health hazard with high mortality risks along with global disastrous economic consequences. A pervasive and long-term impact of the pandemic on mental health has been expected and reported in literature. It is vital to study its nature and whether there has been any change in the impact perception and coping of people toward the COVID pandemic after a year it started. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases, with a gap of one year in between the phases. The present study produced the findings of second phase, which was basically a follow-up after one year. Totally, 100 consenting participants of both sex from the pool of first phase (n = 625) who agreed for follow-up assessment were re-assessed to see the changes in psychological impact of COVID pandemic and their coping using the Psychological Impact and Coping in COVID Pandemic Questionnaire. Results: The psychological coping of the participants significantly lowered from the first phase to the second phase (22.09 ± 3.44 vs. 20.02 ± 3.37, t = 3.75, p < 0.001). Under domain category, psychological coping showed significant lowering in male student participants (21.67 ± 3.50 vs. 19.09 ± 3.35, t = 3.001, p < 0.01) and in female student participants (22.37 ± 3.43 vs. 20.26 ± 3.43, t = 3.2, p < 0.01) from the first to the second phase. Young-aged adults had significantly lowered in psychological coping (22.50 ± 3.15 vs. 19.26 ± 3.72, t = 4.4 p < 0.001) from the first to the second phase. No change in psychological impact on the participants existed, across first to second phase, in the domain for age and sex. Conclusion: The psychological impact of the pandemic was reduced but not conclusively after a year of the COVID pandemic, and the coping was poorer after a year, especially in young adults. The continuation of the pandemic with a persistent increase in infection and mortality numbers and uncertainty over treatment and vaccination is to maintain the phenomenon and needs to be controlled to limit secondary long-term mental issues in the population.

Background: The rapid, ongoing and progressive nature of corona virus pandemic situation is representing global public health disquiet. The uneasiness, apprehension or worry regarding the current circumstances is leading to mental health concern and the quality of life and functioning are being affected and leading to mental health problems. Excessive worry and tension could elevate negative emotions and consternation regarding necessities of daily life, preventive and control measures, life and health threats are the risk factors of aggravation of somatic symptoms. Supportive psychotherapy is an evidenced based therapeutic measure to manage negative emotions and feelings. Aims and Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the application of brief online based brief psychotherapy in the pandemic situation to intervene symptoms of anxiety, somatic concern, and associated negative emotions in daily life. Method: It is a case series of 5 adults with anxiety and somatic symptoms, aggravated in post COVID19 situation therapeutically intervened through brief online based brief psychotherapy. Results: Significant changes in symptom pattern and severity suggest positive indications of online brief therapy for anxiety and related symptoms in pandemic situation.

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Background: The impact of COVID-19 on bodily functions is vivid. Acute respiratory distress in individuals infected with COVID-19 may lead to hypoxemia and oxygen deprivation, causing functional difficulties in brain's functioning. Studies on alterations in cognitive functioning of COVID-infected patients are less reported. The present study explored cognitive functions and functional status of COVID-infected individuals post recovery and differences, if any, corresponding to COVID infection severity. Methods: A total of 32 individuals of both sexes infected with COVID-19 were recruited 3 months post recovery to assess their cognitive functions and functional status across physical, psychological, social, and role function domains. The sample was further divided into two as per the infection severity and compared over differences in cognitive deficits and functional status. To understand the long-term impact, a qualitative interview was taken after 6 months from a total of ten individuals from the primary sample of moderate-to-severe group. Results: COVID-infected individuals as a whole did not show significant cognitive impairment on Mini–Mental Status Examination. However, the subgroups differed significantly in domains of recent memory and physical, psychological, and role functions. At six-month follow-up, select participants in qualitative interview reported to have deficits in cognitive and psychological domains. Conclusion: There might be subtle changes in the cognitive functions of COVID-19 patients. The changes might be transient in nature and appear not significant. However, within-group differences in recent memory function and functional status in relation to infection severity stress the need of further exploration of the domain with a larger sample in longitudinal perspective.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic airflow obstruction and is one of the leading causes of death globally. The changes in pulmonary functions in COPD are irreversible with devastating consequences. Cognitive functioning in COPD patients is often found impaired and postulated to happen due to hypoxemia, i.e., oxygen deprivation to the brain. An impaired cognitive functioning can have direct impact on functional abilities as well as quality of life of patients and could be a vital treatment goal. The study aimed to explore the attention, memory, and executive functioning in hypoxemic COPD patients in backdrop of dearth of studies from India. Materials and Methods: Using purposive sampling, 30 patients with COPD, having mild-to-moderate level of illness severity, and having minimum illness for duration of 5 years were compared with 30 healthy controls. Participants were assessed for cognitive functioning in the domains of sustained attention, processing and psychomotor speed, working memory, verbal learning, and memory and executive functions using neuropsychological tests, namely, Digit Symbol Substitution Test, Trial Making Test, Verbal N Back Test, Rey's Audio Visual Learning Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Animal Naming Test, Stroop Neuropsychological Test, and Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Results: Findings suggest significant differences between COPD patients and healthy controls over processing and psychomotor speed, working memory, memory, learning, and executive functioning. Conclusion: In addition to pulmonary distress, COPD patients also have compromised cognitive functions affecting overall daily functioning and quality of life. Understanding the nature of decline in cognitive functions could be vital in improving daily psychosocial functioning of the patients with COPD, and the exploration could help professionals in intervention of specific cognitive functioning.