OBM Neurobiology is an international peer-reviewed Open Access journal published quarterly online by LIDSEN Publishing Inc. By design, the scope of OBM Neurobiology is broad, so as to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the field of Neurobiology that interfaces biology with the fundamental and clinical neurosciences. As such, OBM Neurobiology embraces rigorous multidisciplinary investigations into the form and function of neurons and glia that make up the nervous system, either individually or in ensemble, in health or disease. OBM Neurobiology welcomes original contributions that employ a combination of molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral approaches to report novel neuroanatomical, neuropharmacological, neurophysiological and neurobehavioral findings related to the following aspects of the nervous system: Signal Transduction and Neurotransmission; Neural Circuits and Systems Neurobiology; Nervous System Development and Aging; Neurobiology of Nervous System Diseases (e.g., Developmental Brain Disorders; Neurodegenerative Disorders).

OBM Neurobiology  publishes a variety of article types (Original Research, Review, Communication, Opinion, Comment, Conference Report, Technical Note, Book Review, etc.). Although the OBM Neurobiology Editorial Board encourages authors to be succinct, there is no restriction on the length of the papers. Authors should present their results in as much detail as possible, as reviewers are encouraged to emphasize scientific rigor and reproducibility.

Publication Speed (median values for papers published in 2023): Submission to First Decision: 7.5 weeks; Submission to Acceptance: 15.9 weeks; Acceptance to Publication: 7 days (1-2 days of FREE language polishing included)

Current Issue: 2024  Archive: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017

Special Issue

How COVID-19 Changed Individual and Social Life: Psychological and Mental illness Studies on the Pandemic Outcomes

Submission Deadline: November 30, 2024 (Open) Submit Now

Guest Editors

Ines Testoni, Professor

Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy.

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Research interests: death and dying, palliative psychology, grief and mourning, end-of-life

Adriano Zamperini, Professsor

Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy

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Research interests: environmental changes and health; social violence; ethics and psychology.

Dr. Lorenza Palazzo

Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: ALS palliative care; Ambiguous loss; Gestalt therapy

About This Topic

COVID-19 has caused a global crisis with multifaceted dimensions and has had a significant impact on the world’s societies, transforming what was initially assumed as a public health crisis into a new psychosocial architecture where some novel and ancients difficulties emerge or became more severe. The pandemic has profoundly altered many aspects of how societies function, with important effects. The disruption to normal life, the introduction of social distancing measures, the limitation of in-person interaction have severely distressed individuals and communities, hampering social relationships for a long time. Indeed, the pandemic has created moments of extraordinary threat, involving citizens, families, states and civil society to face terror through a predominant language that have focused on mainstream epidemiological and economic responses, certainly important but insufficient to manage the global human crisis.
In this scenario the psychological perspective permits to think of how to alleviate the short- and long-term consequences of the pandemic on individuals and societies. In the psycho-social area, they are to underline for importance the emergence of social inequalities, the transformation of politics of information and media communication, the reconfiguration of human relationships, differentiation between human groups (i.e. the vaccinated/unvaccinated; the infected and those testing negative). Furthermore, it must be considered that fragile people are being disproportionately affected and distressed by COVID-19. The different impacts of COVID-19 resulting from poverty and marginalization reflect historic inequalities and differential risks that should be psychosocially managed and resolved. Furthermore, COVID-19 may open the way to an intensification of authoritarian-populist perspectives, aimed at reinforcing discriminatory social relationships, overcoming this situation represents a true challenge for all psychology scientists, in relation to the possibilities of realizing analysis of current social changes which might also lead to the development of new theories and methodologies. Indeed, this call is aimed at imaging how social and psychological sciences may transform this liminal moment in a movement towards a more equal, inclusive and collectivist political approach, where rethinking of psychosocial functions, civil society organizations, and inclusiveness.

Possible Topics:

We invite manuscripts from all psychological disciplines on the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated psychological aspects which may include negative as well as positive perspectives. Both original papers as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses are welcome in this special issue. The topics covered may include (but are not limited to):

  • How the pandemic crisis influences on the ideas about the interdependence between psychological wellbeing and social relationships;
  • The social context of contagion;
  • The spread of new behaviours, and changing nature of social contacts and mobility
  • Individual and social factors that explain the different distress responses to the pandemic;
  • The consequences of the COVID-19 crisis to individual, family and community relationships;
  • Fear of death and COVID-19 distress (fear of vaccine, fear of infection, dear of contact …) and attitude/behavior changes;
  • Traumatic loss and grief and their individual, family, community effects;
  • Development of measures to assess COVID-related psychological issues;
  • Interdisciplinary methodological approaches that assess or describe COVID-19 related psychological experiences and mental health;
  • Potential psychological or mental health impacts of people caused by COVID-19 infection (e.g., stigma, isolation, depression, etc.);
  • Needs defined in different contexts requiring the recalibration of psychological and social support;
  • Changes in the psychological model of intervention, therapy and support;
  • The pandemic, social inequalities (conditions of marginalized and vulnerable people);
  • Social inequalities problematic conditions during the pandemic crisis, with particular attention to women, fragile people and groups considered disposable, for their marginalization;
  • The psychosocial factors implied in health crisis that hamper the respect of human rights;
  • The pandemic social information and its psychological effects;
  • Literary and artistic representations of the pandemic and their psychological effects;
  • The COVID-19 pandemic in the context of past pandemics;
  • The COVID-19 pandemic, biopolitics reflection and perception of limitations of freedom;
  • The social crisis and the psychological perception of the role of science and technology;
  • The ethics of care-giving, ethics dilemmas and psychological distress;
  • Community and relational space change and their psychological effects;
  • Psychological effects of temporal/spatial dynamics and structural changes;
  • Psychological factors of the fragmentation of the public space.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted through the LIDSEN Submission System. Detailed information on manuscript preparation and submission is available in the Instructions for Authors. All submitted articles will be thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process and will be processed following the Editorial Process and Quality Control policy. Upon acceptance, the article will be immediately published in a regular issue of the journal and will be listed together on the special issue website, with a label that the article belongs to the Special Issue. LIDSEN distributes articles under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License in an open-access model. The authors own the copyright to the article, and the article can be free to access, distribute, and reuse provided that the original work is correctly cited.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). Research articles and review articles are highly invited. Authors are encouraged to send the tentative title and abstract of the planned paper to the Editorial Office (neurobiology@lidsen.com) for record. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office.

Welcome your submission!

Publication

Open Access Correction

Correction: Tse et al. How COVID-19 Ceases All Older Adult Services & the Way Out for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Pain. OBM Neurobiology 2023; 7: 183

Received: 11 March 2024;  Published: 12 March 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2401213

Abstract

CorrectionCorrection: Tse et al. How COVID-19 Ceases All Older Adult Services & the Way Out for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Pain. OBM Neurobiology 2023; 7: 183Mimi Mun Yee Tse 1, *, Shamay Sheung Mei [...]
Open Access Original Research

Resilience in Adversity: COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges in Diminishing Entrepreneurial Intentions and Business Startups

Received: 13 November 2023;  Published: 11 March 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2401212

Abstract

In this study, the researchers explore the effects of COVID-19-related challenges, such as fear and anxiety about COVID-19, the uncertainty of COVID-19, and the recognition of business opportunities for entrepreneurial intentions and business startups. This study used quantitative methods and based their findings on 278 usable [...]
Open Access Original Research

Association between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Resilience in Frontline Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam

Received: 11 October 2023;  Published: 30 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2304199

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a considerable burden on frontline healthcare workers (HCWs), thus increasing their vulnerability to developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our study aimed to examine the relationship between possible PTSD symptoms and resilience and identify associated factors with possible PTSD symptoms among Vietna [...]
Open Access Review

Building Resilience in Students: Managed and Minimised Stress in Students

Received: 07 March 2023;  Published: 07 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2304193

Abstract

Stressful events in students' and teachers' personal, academic, and professional lives are widespread. The paper discusses many effective methods and techniques for correcting and preventing stress that are simple to learn and practice. They give good results in working with children, adolescents, and youths in training and educati [...]
Open Access Research Article

How COVID-19 Ceases All Older Adult Services & the Way Out for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Pain

Received: 02 August 2023;  Published: 15 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303183

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic started at the beginning of 2020. It significantly impacted the older adults in Hong Kong, with most of the community centers and elderly centers being closed down under various restrictive measures. Thus, community-based health promotion activities were temporarily paused, which decreased older adults’ health-promoting [...]
Open Access Original Research

Affinity for Technology Relates to Group Cohesion for New, But Not Existing, Groups

Received: 14 April 2023;  Published: 07 September 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303182

Abstract

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world mandated shutdowns and social distancing, limiting how much people could see other people outside of their household. Because of this, people had negative mental health outcomes, and many people turned to technology to maintain connections and create new ones. In this paper, we [...]
Open Access Original Research

COVID-19 Milieu and Its Psychological Effects on the Environmental Performance

Received: 03 June 2023;  Published: 22 August 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303179

Abstract

COVID-19 brought significant challenges that have ruined almost all segments of the economy and the environment. The present paper explores the COVID-19 milieu and its impacts the environmental performance (EP). We targeted managers of the Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of Saudi Arabia to get online [...]
Open Access Original Research

“Welcome to Our World”: Experiences of Persons Living with Dementia Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Received: 20 June 2023;  Published: 10 August 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303178

Abstract

People diagnosed with dementia are experts on living with the disease, yet their perspectives are often overlooked in research and practice. The pandemic has amplified health inequities among older adults, but the impact of the pandemic on the lived experience of people living with dementia remains unclear. This qualitative stud [...]
Open Access Original Research

The Psychometric Properties of the COVID Stress Scales in Korean University Students

Received: 13 April 2023;  Published: 07 August 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303177

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated disruptions have significantly impacted university students’ lives worldwide. The COVID Stress Scale (CSS) is a 36-item self-reporting instrument designed to measure stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study purposed to examine the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the CSS [...]
Open Access Review

Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in General Population During COVID-19 Pandemic: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis

Received: 31 May 2023;  Published: 21 July 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2303175

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, global populations have experienced quarantine and lockdown restrictions, adversely affecting individuals' psychological well-being. This comprehensive review aims to estimate the prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within the general population amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing the PRISMA [...]
Open Access Original Research

A Cross-Sectional Study of COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Postpartum Women's Level of Anxiety, Depression and Breastfeeding Duration

Received: 06 January 2023;  Published: 15 May 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302169

Abstract

Pregnancy and postpartum periods are known as sensitive periods in women’s life and COVID-19 pandemic seems to be worsening their mental health with major impacts on exclusive breastfeeding duration. Therefore, the present study aims to fill the gap in the literature by assessing the links between postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms [...]
Open Access Research Article

Coping and Managing ALS Disease in the Family during COVID-19: Caregivers' Perspective

Received: 13 November 2022;  Published: 31 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301165

Abstract

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord that enable voluntary muscle movement. Managing ALS is complex and increasingly requires informal care, most often by the patient's companions/spouses or children. The COVID-19 pandemic [...]
Open Access Original Research

How Involvement in COVID-19-Related Work Changed Nurses' Job Demands, Job Resources, and Their Associations with Burnout: Evidence from China 1

Received: 09 January 2023;  Published: 27 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301164

Abstract

China adopted a “Zero-COVID” policy for nearly three years, making Chinese healthcare workers constantly involved in COVID-19-related work. However, little is known about how involvement in COVID-19-related work shaped Chinese nurses’ burnout. This study explores how nurses’ job demands and job resources are associated with their burno [...]
Open Access Research Article

Trauma and Distress on a Cruise during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study with Italian and French Tourists

Received: 24 July 2022;  Published: 10 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301162

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our daily lives. One of the sectors most affected was tourism and travel – and, more specifically, cruises, given the prolonged time passengers spend with others within the small spaces of the cruise ship. While finding well-organised entertainment opportunities on cruises is possible, emergenc [...]
Open Access Original Research

Maternal Coping Mechanism and Its Associated Factors Following Perinatal Loss in Hospitals of Wolaita Zone, South Ethiopia 2021

Received: 08 December 2022;  Published: 12 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301154

Abstract

Perinatal loss is the most painful and unanticipated experience for those who conceived and it is a major global concern worldwide, especially in developed countries like Ethiopia. Women who lost their pregnancy are believed to be at higher risk of developing severe grief following a loss. To reduce the risk [...]
Open Access Research Article

How Pathologists Dealt with the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Received: 14 July 2022;  Published: 14 December 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2204148

Abstract

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, pathologists had to follow new protocols in their work environment around the world to limit or prevent the possibility of transmission of the infection during the autopsy of infected corpses. By using a qualitative research design, in this study, we investigated the emotions, experiences, and [...]
Open Access Research Article

Anti-Violence Centers in Italy During the COVID-19 Emergency: Support Strategies for Women Victims of Violence

Received: 16 August 2022;  Published: 30 November 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2204147

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted anti-violence centers for women. This study aims to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions affect: the assistance and protection functions of the anti-violence centers; the needs of women victims of violence; and the well-being of the professionals working with these women. Twenty-four [...]
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