Thousands of millions of people faced devastating impacts around the world during COVID‑19 pandemic. Not only anxiety or fear of COVID‑19 dominated the negative psychological impacts, mental disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sleep disturbance increasingly appeared during or after the pandemic. Apart from the confirmed patients, survivors of the viral infection, close family members, elders, children and adolescents, people quarantined, people with preexisting psychiatric conditions, frontline police, emergency medical services, and health‑care workers, mental distress specific to the vulnerable groups should be recognized. Preventive strategies including self‑regulations, leadership, and teamwork were highlighted. Specific evaluations for at‑risk population and efficacious treatment such as cognitive behavioral treatment could be considered. This article delineated directions for mental health workers during pandemic.