Linking Neuroscience and Behavior in COVID-19: Chapter 45 - Mental health and the modulating effects of receiving the COVID-19 vaccination

Elsevier, Linking Neuroscience and Behavior in COVID-19, 2024, pp 509-517
Authors: 
Natsu Sasaki, Norito Kawakami

This chapter provides a narrative review of longitudinal evidence on the associations between receiving COVID-19 vaccines and people’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most studies reported favorable findings on the effectiveness of vaccination on mental health. The effect of vaccination was reported to be greater for people at higher risk of COVID-19, socially disadvantaged groups, and people with a greater risk perception of COVID-19. Evidence suggests that receiving a vaccination is more beneficial among people with high confidence in vaccination. Community-based campaigns that increase people’s trust and confidence in vaccination may maximize the effect. More longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the mental health effect of vaccination in various settings and to clarify the mechanism of the modulating effects of vaccines on mental health.