Chronic underinvestment in mental health at the global and national levels left us all vulnerable to the novel corona virus 2019 (COVID-19), which profoundly affects physical and mental health, with too few people, tools, and systems to marshal an effective response. In 2019, governments devoted an average of just over 2 percent of their health budgets to mental health, despite it being the third leading cause of the global disease burden (including self-harm and substance use), just after cardiovascular disease and cancer (1). Donors to low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have performed arguably worse, allocating just US$220 million (0.3 percent) of US$67 billion in development assistance for health to mental health in 2021 (2). Exacerbating the deleterious effects of underinvestment, 93% of countries reported mental health service disruptions during the pandemic (3).

The mental health consequences of the pandemic include increased prevalence and severity of common mental disorders among people suffering from COVID-19 infection (4), among health care workers (5–7), and in the general population (8, 9). And while nearly everyone's mental health has been adversely impacted by the pandemic, there is growing evidence that marginalized communities have been disproportionately affected (9–11). This issue explores the impact that COVID-19 has had on the mental health of marginalized communities who typically bear a disproportionate burden of disease due to intersecting systems of discrimination and disadvantage.

This Research Topic adopts a novel perspective by examining how structural-level forces (i.e., the role of COVID-related policies, as well as pandemic-related disruption of essential services) impact the mental health of marginalized communities and provides examples of methods to bridge structural-level challenges (e.g., via telehealth). Specifically, this issue documents the prevalence of mental disorders within marginalized communities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, describes the adverse impact of pandemic prevention policies on mental health, evaluates program innovations to improve service access, provides digital and tele-health solutions to overcoming barriers to care and highlights the critical role played by civil society organizations and social safety nets in pandemic response.

The manuscripts and contributors featured are geographically diverse, with papers from Southeast Asia (2), South Asia (1), Africa (2), South America (1), the UK (1), and one scoping review with cross-regional coverage. The Research Topic also addresses a range of marginalized communities including displaced populations (2), migrant workers (1), the urban poor (2), adolescents and young adults in low-resource settings (1), ethnic minorities (2), and people who use drugs (1). We intend this Research Topic to make a distinct contribution to the literature and sharpen future mental health policy and research agendas to better address the mental health of marginalized communities during large-scale public health threats, focusing on but not limited to the pandemic.

This Research Topic distinctly adds to a global literature by specifically elucidating impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of marginalized communities. Sustained investment that is commensurate with worldwide disease burden at the global and national level in mental health along with relevant services is required to address today's unmet needs, and to prepare for future pandemics or other global crises (e.g., climate change). Effective, low-cost, and scalable mental health interventions exist and should be prioritized for rollout, particularly for the socially, economically, and geographically marginalized populations. The root causes driving incidence of mental disorders, such as access to quality education and healthcare, economic insecurity and respect for human rights, merit further investment as well. Secondly, mental health services require buttressing by a robust social safety net, and new low-cost, culturally appropriate, trauma-informed interventions must be developed for the marginalized communities. Two papers in this issue (Liem et al.; Lee et al.) demonstrate the critical role civil society plays in ensuring access to mental health and psychosocial support services and they must be engaged. Meaningful participation of marginalized communities and people with mental health conditions in governmental advisory group for pandemic response can help strengthen community based mental health systems. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine led to another mental health crisis, which further highlights the necessity of strengthening mental health systems to be resilient and responsive to calamities as they arise (12). These emergencies provide an opportunity to build mental health systems that are inclusive, equitable and responsive to the needs and priorities of the marginalized communities. Whether it is pandemics, war or other crises, the time to address mental health capacity is now.

PN drafted the editorial. LY, BH, and NU reviewed and edited the drafts. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.