On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the coronavirus infection 2019 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic (WHO-Media-Briefing). Many governments responded with harsh measures, such as lockdown with school and workplace closures, self-isolation and social distance, border closures, and travel restrictions, to impede the virus’s spread across and within nations. On March 18, 2020, the WHO issued a statement outlining mental health and psychosocial issues for the general public, recognizing the possible impact of this public health emergency on the general population’s mental health.
The COVID-19 pandemic threatens our population because of the risk to human life and the resulting economic suffering and intangible mental strain. Recent days have seen the worst economic contraction in modern history and a record-breaking increase in unemployment. The worldwide epidemic, exacerbated by the financial crisis, will undoubtedly substantially influence society’s mental health.
Because the COVID-19 epidemic is significantly greater in scope than any recent pandemics or medical catastrophes, its implications are unprecedented and hence more difficult to forecast. The intensity of the methods adopted to manage the epidemic has resulted in immediate and significant worries for the general public’s mental health, with requests for quick and direct intervention.
The COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most serious worldwide catastrophes in decades, has had severe and far-reaching consequences for health systems, economics, and civilizations. Countless individuals have perished or lost their jobs due to the disaster. Families and communities have been tested and torn apart. Children and teenagers have been denied the opportunity to study and socialize. Businesses have declared bankruptcy. Millions of people have slipped into poverty.
People’s mental health has suffered due to the health, social, and economic consequences. Many of us grew more worried, but for some, COVID-19 triggered or exacerbated far more significant mental health issues. Many people have experienced psychological anguish and sadness, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. There has also been alarming evidence of increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors among health care personnel.
Some people have been impacted far more than others. Young people have been left exposed to social isolation and disconnectedness due to protracted school and university closures, which can fuel emotions of worry, uncertainty, and loneliness and lead to effective and behavioral disorders. Making some children and adolescents stay at home may have increased their likelihood of experiencing familial stress or abuse, which are risk factors for mental health disorders. Women have also suffered more stress at home, with one fast assessment stating that 45 percent of women had encountered some abuse, either directly or indirectly, during the pandemic’s first year.
While the need for mental health care has increased, mental health services have been significantly interrupted. This was particularly true early in the epidemic when personnel and infrastructure were often redeployed to COVID-19 assistance. At the time, social policies also prohibited individuals from receiving care. In many situations, a lack of awareness and misinformation about the virus fueled anxieties and discouraged individuals from getting care.
Since the pandemic’s beginning, providers of mental health services had attempted to minimize service interruptions, for example, by delivering care via alternative routes when public health and social precautions were in place. Community-based projects were frequently more adaptable, developing novel methods of providing psychological assistance, particularly through digital technology and informal support. Furthermore, international organizations have given guidelines, tools, and resources to assist responders, public health planners, and the general public.
WHO (World Health Organization) advises including Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in all public health emergency planning and response phases. WHO also recommended that nations do the following to mitigate the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic:
How the COVID-19 pandemic impacts your mental health: Stress is a natural and anticipated reaction to any health crisis, but stress skyrockets when the crisis is unprecedented in your life and everyone is at risk. Even if the reason for your stress is obvious, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, articulating your emotions may help you better comprehend the issues. When you’ve reached your emotional limit, being patient with yourself and others is simpler.
The COVID-19 difficulties affect your mental health in the following ways.
Whether you’re concerned about yourself, family, friends, or coworkers, the dread of becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus is unavoidable. Ongoing fear is a symptom of anxiety that affects your appetite, causes sleep issues, and substantially influences your capacity to deal with everyday life. Fear also contributes to other stress caused by fueling habits such as grocery hoarding. Whether you feel the impulse to hoard, you will surely be frustrated by the inability to find the key things you require at the store.
Staying at home may reduce some of your fears about being unwell, but it has consequences. The isolation from the love and support of friends and family is tremendously difficult and stressful. Even if you live with family, social isolation can lead to emotions of loneliness, melancholy, and concern. You may also learn that spending all day with your family is stressful and difficult, no matter how much you love them.
You’re worried about your money if you’re one of the millions who can’t go to work. Even if you have a nest egg to fall back on, the uncertainty of when you’ll be able to return to work or if your job will still be available is a huge stressor contributing to mental health issues.
Many people have suffered or will soon suffer greatly from the untimely death of friends and family. Because melancholy is a normal reaction to loss, the COVID-19 pandemic may also bring regret at losing your work or health.
Recognizing your emotions can reduce their overall impact on your mental health. You may boost your resilience by reminding yourself and your family that concern, sorrow, and grief are normal feelings and that you will get through this difficult time.
Tips for enhancing your mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak
Limit your news consumption: While it is vital to be informed of what is going on in the world, listening to COVID-19 news for an extended period adds to your stress, worry, and depression.
Keep moving: Exercise is essential for stress alleviation and maintaining physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Take a daily walk (while maintaining social distance) or practice yoga.
Make and keep to a schedule: Making and sticking to a daily pattern provides structure and a sense of normalcy for you and your family, which may help counteract stress.
Set aside time to connect with family and friends, whether face-to-face via videoconferencing, conversation on social media, or the old-fashioned way: over the phone. Consider thinking beyond the box. A videoconference, for example, can be used to host a dinner party or a reading club.
Schedule time to play: Whether you and your family like board games, video games, or watching movies, set aside time each night to play.
Stay healthy: The foods you consume impact your mental and physical health, so make sure your meals are nutritious.
Seek help: If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health issue, you must stick to your treatment plan. You may securely refill your medications in your pharmacy’s drive-through or discuss home delivery with your pharmacist.
Anyone experiencing severe mental health concerns can utilize telehealth to speak with physicians and psychiatrists from the comfort of their own homes. We also provide personalized repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (PrTMS), a time-tested treatment for anxiety, melancholy, and stress. Mental health services, including PrTMS, are regarded as critical during the pandemic, and you may be able to access the treatment you require because of the precautions we have put in place.
COVID-19 and anxiety have a strong association. Since the epidemic began, many people have reported deteriorating symptoms. Anxiety and despair are on the rise as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. Many people have been under additional stress due to COVID-19 and the following cultural and economic developments.
As we continue to adopt social separation to try to stop the spread of the virus, these new boundaries have been tough and alienating for many. COVID-19 is known to produce the following mental health problems or feelings:
The COVID-19 epidemic has impacted many facets of everyday life, posing tough problems that many people are still adjusting to. COVID-19 may elicit various unpleasant emotions, including tension, fear, solitude, and despair. Due to the difficult epidemic, many people have reported heightened stress or poor mental health.
To help prevent the transmission of COVID-19, safety steps such as quarantining or social isolation are required. Nonetheless, the procedure might make people feel lonely or aggravate pre-existing mental health disorders. Many people may choose to self-medicate due to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, or sadness. Furthermore, to alleviate bad feelings, people may abuse narcotics or alcohol.
Mental disease is a complicated subject with several potential causes. In most situations, the development of mental disease results from a person’s personality combined with events — such as a worldwide pandemic — and lifestyle choices. The phrase “mental health problems” refers to a wide spectrum of mental health diseases.
Anxiety, sadness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia are all common mental health issues. While times of mental health worry or a bad mood occur throughout life, mental illness is characterized by unpleasant thoughts, fear, or symptoms that create regular stress and impair a person’s ability to operate.
Many people’s mental health may deteriorate during COVID-19, or the pandemic’s consequences may result in mental disease issues. Besides the pandemic and isolation, other risk factors might exacerbate mental health difficulties. These risk factors include:
Genetics: Certain mental diseases may be inherited, which means they run in families and may be handed down from parents to children. You are more likely to have a mental health condition if your family has a history of mental illness. Many psychiatric problems, scientists believe, run in families, implying possible hereditary bases.
Substance abuse: It has been shown that chronic use of some chemicals and narcotics causes short- and long-term alterations in the brain, which can contribute to various mental health concerns.
In addition to drug abuse, persistent alcohol abuse has been demonstrated to raise the risk of certain mental health disorders. Alcohol abuse has been linked to symptoms of sadness, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial conduct.
Physical or emotional abuse: Physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse can all have long-term consequences. Those who have experienced abuse or other trauma are more prone to mental health issues. Some fears quarantining and staying at home more frequently would increase the number of cases of abuse.
Childhood trauma: Even if a person is no longer actively experiencing the trauma, emotional or physical childhood trauma can have long-term effects on their mental health. Children exposed to stressful events, such as the coronavirus epidemic, are more prone to acquire anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health problems.
Lack of socializing: Proper socialization is essential for a happy and healthy life. Poor social skills can lead to emotions of stress, loneliness, and isolation, all of which can harm one’s physical and mental health.
The epidemic’s mental health implications are projected to intensify. When determining which techniques to use, assessing the existing state of affairs is necessary. Substance or alcohol misuse is usually associated with mental health issues. Regarding the relationship between mental health and drug use, we try to address all aspects of a patient during therapy. Through innovative programs and counseling, we hope to provide a safe sanctuary for anybody battling drug or alcohol addiction, especially during the pandemic.
Finally, to plan effectively and respond strategically, states must increase mental health outcome tracking, enabling rapid responsiveness to newly emerging requirements.
