Behavior analysts and COVID-19: A review of empirical and conceptual publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need for behavioral interventions in public health. Behavior analysts worldwide responded with research and practical strategies to address emerging challenges, particularly related to prevention, telehealth, and mental health. Objective: This narrative review aimed to identify, organize, and synthesize behavior-analytic publications on the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby improving access to and use of this knowledge. Method: The review included theoretical, basic, and applied studies published in Portuguese or English, available online without date restrictions. Sources were limited to peer-reviewed journals in behavior analysis. Results: A total of 272 documents were screened, and 62 met the inclusion criteria. These publications addressed five key domains: the adaptation of services to telehealth, promotion of safety and prevention behaviors, general mental health, social and domestic contexts, and research proposals. Most studies emphasized remote service delivery and the implementation of protective health behaviors. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that behavior analysts made timely and relevant contributions during the pandemic, particularly by adapting clinical practices and promoting behavioral adherence to public health guidelines. These insights highlight the importance of behavioral science in shaping crisis responses and indicate promising avenues for future research and intervention.