Recent publication about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Germany and what we learn from it

As part of a special issue of the professional journal “Der Nervenarzt” on the topic of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the article titled “COVID-19-Pandemie und psychische Gesundheit in Deutschland: Verlauf, resiliente und vulnerable Gruppen” was published on April 3rd, 2025. The participating researchers of the LIR, Dr. Jutta M. Stoffers-Winterling, Jan Broll, Junior Professor Dr. Sarah K. Schäfer, Professor Dr. Oliver Tüscher, and Professor Dr. Klaus Lieb, present the current state of knowledge on the course of mental health in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results show that a significant proportion of the population experienced temporary psychological distress during the pandemic. This was particularly evident in the form of increased anxiety symptoms at the beginning of the pandemic and a rise in depressive symptoms as well as reduced life satisfaction later on. At the same time, the majority of cases followed resilient trajectories. Hence, a large proportion of individuals were able to maintain or quickly restore their mental health.

People of the female sex, younger individuals and those facing financial difficulties, among others, experienced higher levels of psychological distress. On the other hand, factors such as a positive evaluation style, cognitive flexibility, social support and a high level of self-efficacy had a positive impact on people's health.

Read the full article here as well as the other contributions featured in the special issue: „Inanspruchnahme psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutischer Versorgung in Deutschland während des ersten Jahres der COVID-19-Pandemie – systematischer Review und Metaanalyse“ and „Psychische Gesundheit und psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutische Versorgung als Elemente von „pandemic and crisis preparedness“.

The insights gained are of great relevance for the development of strategies aimed at promoting mental health and enhancing preparedness for future crises. Furthermore, the findings offer concrete points of reference for the Leibniz-Lab “Pandemic Preparedness”, in which the LIR has been participating since 2024. The Lab integrates expertise from various disciplines with practical knowledge to develop strategies that strengthen the resilience of both society and the scientific community in the face of future pandemics.