ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything experienced by humanity in the recent past. To flatten the curve of the virus, countries across the world imposed lockdowns, resulting in the abrupt shutting down of economies and confinement of billions of persons to their homes. Along with the toll taken on economies and the human toll, the pandemic has created a plethora of psychological problems, the effects of which may be long term. Though the effect of the COVID-19 crisis is felt by everyone, there is not enough research to test its psychological impact on different sections of society. In this chapter, the author examines the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of a section of people living in India’s metropolitan cities, to assess the impact of the pandemic on the more privileged sections of society. It is largely felt that people belonging to urban, upper-middle-class backgrounds have been less affected by lockdowns and related measures. However, the survey reveals, in line with emerging global findings, that even amongst people who have access to resources, the psychological impact of the pandemic is of considerable concern. Hence, the situation is likely to be much worse with respect to the sections of society which have lesser access and privilege.
