In a recent interview with UMH Sapiens, Dr. José Pedro Espada, Full Professor of Psychological Treatments at UMH, explained how the pandemic has affected the mental health of the population. Prof. Espada noted that the mental health care demand has increased after the pandemic, especially in reference to emotional problems. In addition, he indicated that people with a predisposition to present fears and worries are more vulnerable to manifest anxiety problems during the pandemic as a consequence of it, due to the greater perception of threat and lack of control. In general, the population has adapted adequately to the changes produced in this stage of health alert, affecting only the social relationships of those children and adolescents who are more shy and vulnerable. According to Dr. Espada, the interference of the pandemic has been greater in the child and adolescent population due to their lower coping strategies and experience compared to the adult population. The symptoms derived from the health crisis situation will subside over time, however, those cases requiring professional intervention should be detected and assessed. Professor Espada emphasized that the negative consequences of the pandemic should allow the population to generate new coping strategies that will be useful for them to move forward, mature, and become stronger. Please click here to read the full interview.