The pandemic has been an unprecedented global challenge with both short- and long-term effects on how human beings feel, think and behave. People have had to endure fear, loss, uncertainty and tremendous life changes, all within a year, with the end of the crisis still not in sight. During these difficult times, psychologists across Europe and the world have been busy trying to understand the psychological impact of the pandemic, while many have had critical roles in designing and implementing science-informed interventions to help individuals, at-risk groups and communities cope, endure and prepare for the future.

For the special issue we welcome full-length original empirical articles and brief reports describing single studies on how humans were emotionally affected, how they coped, and the short- and long-term consequences on mental health, wellbeing, relationships, families, school, work and performance. We especially welcome articles tackling the responses of vulnerable groups, and manuscripts presenting empirical evidence on innovative interventions to help individuals, families, children, groups and communities endure and prepare for the day after.