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belonging, webinars, meetings and virtual extracurricular activities can be implemented for the black, latin and LGBTQ+ communities (Liu and Modir, 2020; Salerno et al., 2020). Furthermore, those with limited literacy concerning the use of digital technologies ought to receive special consideration. Financial Support As for the financial stress experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of each country should offer financial support for the vulnerable population in this context, including the self-employed and those with lower income. It is also crucial to prepare an economical plan during and after the quarantine, in order to reduce stress about the uncertainty of the future (Gunnell et al., 2020). Moreover, aiming to alleviate the economic burden faced particularly by numerous groups throughout the community, medical expenses of COVID-19 confirmed and suspected patients should be subsidized by the government. This strategy may also ensure that individuals seek medical care and, therefore, promotes health equity and disease control amongst the more vulnerable groups (Wang and Tang, 2020). Personal Strategies to Improve Mental Health In light of this difficult scenario, there are ways in which individuals may personally attempt to improve their well-being. Undoubtedly, maintaining interest and motivation is difficult for those suffering from mental health disorders or for those struggling financially (Mental health Covid-19, 2020). Nonetheless, studies have suggested that nourishing adaptive mindsets regarding stress may exert positive effects on how people deal with their emotions. It may also reduce adverse physical symptoms and boost physiological functioning under acute stress (Bavel et al., 2020). In fact, stress and loss of life satisfaction have been associated with higher levels of inflammation, which increases the odds of contracting the disease (Mesa Vieira et al., 2020). Moreover, a study with employed students observed that there are multiple emotion regulation strategies that might be helpful during this period. They include seeking and reaching out to social connection, such as friends or family, or even volunteering, as reducing the feeling of loneliness and enhancing belongingness is crucial to prevent suicide (Holmes et al., 2020). Keeping oneself committed to other things (i.e., hobbies, music, reading, film, and television and home improvements) and engaging in enjoyable activities to improve one’s mood have also been suggested (Restubog et al., 2020). As complex and multicomponent activities, arts and crafts have been highly associated with diminished risk of developing mental health disorders (Conejero et al., 2020). It is suspected that they modulate several neurotransmitters, as well as cortisol levels, and stimulate neuroplasticity. Therefore, they offer the possibility of emotional expression and regulation (Conejero et al., 2020). As the COVID-19 outbreak severely restricted people’s movement, outdoor activities have been limited, which does not mean, however, that physical activity needs to be limited as well. Physical exercises have been strongly associated with positive effects regarding mental and physical health (Jiménez-Pavón et al., 2020; Lyons et al., 2020). Therefore, exercising at home is an accessible and easy alternative, which includes not only walking and running, but also several online and free classes of different sport modalities (Chen et al., 2020; Jiménez-Pavón et al., 2020; Mental health Covid-19, 2020).
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