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Research Essay
The coronavirus pandemic’s onset resulted in significant societal changes that have caused economic, social, and health effects on people across the world. The first case of COVID-19 was in 2019 in Wuhan, China, when the world was not familiar with its ultimate impact. However, the situation changed drastically from March 2020 when the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the COVID-19 as a pandemic because of the virus’s alarming spread. It also provided a guideline for countries to follow to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The rising levels of panic and death resulted in implementing state-wide and government mandates involving social isolation and lockdown. The containment and mitigation measures involved closing businesses, enforcing lockdowns that restricted movement, and promoting social distancing. The standards were devised and implemented with the need to prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, the approaches were followed by severe unwanted effects ranging from economic fallout to disrupting people’s daily lives. Psychological effects are one of the leading side effects of the coronavirus preventative measures. Mental health problems have increased as individuals are exposed to social isolation, feelings of loneliness, and increased stress levels due to family members and friends’ loss, financial strain, and social frustration. From this perspective, the paper focuses on raising awareness concerning the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the different ways of promoting people’s well-being. The information provided in the article can be used by institutions to better prepare for future epidemics. Thus, improving individuals’ well-being is essential in their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks.
Causes of Mental Health Problems during the Pandemic
Several factors cause mental health issues associated with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Notably, the pandemic resulted in business closures and failures. Reduced consumer spending and profit levels forced businesses to fire their workforce. Job loss was vast in the country where most individuals lost their only source of income. The constant worry and stress associated with handling other roles and responsibilities without an adequate financial resource significantly impacted individuals’ mental health across the world (Alradhawi et al. 147). The stress associated with the pandemic has also led to increased drug abuse and alcohol use, coupled with increased anxiety and insomnia reports. Increased anxiety levels rise from the constant worry concerning the pandemic’s future effects, including finding the funds to cover individual bills and expenses (Alradhawi et al. 147). Other individuals develop anxiety due to fears of getting sick and dying. Depression is a significant mental health effect of the pandemic (Alradhawi et al. 147). The quarantine and isolation measures reduce the levels of engagement and interaction with other individuals (Alradhawi et al. 147). In effect, feelings of isolation and loneliness are more likely to result in depression (Alradhawi et al. 147). Meanwhile, the coronavirus is associated with mental and neurological issues involving stroke, agitation, and delirium. Therefore, the progression and spread of the coronavirus resulted in different mental health issues.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with exacerbated effects on individuals with mental health issues. The mental health effects are worse among individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions. The changes brought about by the pandemic have resulted in disruptions in different kinds of mental health services. Notably, there have been disruptions to psychotherapy and counseling to opioid agonist treatment and harm reduction (Jakhar and Kharya 1). Reports also indicate disruptions to the workplace and school access to mental health services and disrupted access to medications for substance use disorders and mental problems (Jakhar and Kharya 1). The pandemic has also caused disruptions concerning access to emergency interventions such as severe substance use withdrawal effects and delirium (Singh et al. 1). The overall effects involve an increase in mental health issues throughout the globe. Thus, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted access to mental health care and services, worsening individuals’ well-being.
Effects of Mental Health Issues due to COVID-19
Mental health issues caused or exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic have significant effects on the lives of people. Notably, mental well-being is critical to performance at work and the ability to work. Due to COVID-19, such as anxiety and depression, poor mental health can contribute to the development of physical illnesses such as cardiovascular problems and hypertension, among several others. The poor mental health of individuals might also result in burnout, which affects their ability to deliver as expected. For instance, essential workers, such as nurses, must work extended hours, leading to burnout when combined with their mental health deficits (Out et al. 2). In effect, a significant number of essential workers and non-essential workers drop out of work because of mental health disabilities (Out et al. 2). In severe cases, workers with mental health issues cannot work entirely because of a lack of treatment to manage their conditions (Out et al. 2). Mental health issues also impact businesses through increased absenteeism that translates into adverse effects on productivity while increasing the cost of managing the associated problems (Rajgopal 63). When individuals lose their employment, especially the breadwinners results in the inability to support family members financially. Thus, mental health issues can result in work-related matters.
Moreover, individuals with mental health issues are more likely to experience more problems than worsen their conditions. For instance, individuals with pre-existing mental and neurological issues are exposed to the risk of a mental breakdown. The resultant effect is the increased cost of spending due to hospitalization and the management of mental health problems. Mental health issues can also affect how an individual interacts with other individuals. Poor mental health, such as depression, can affect the relationship between workers, an individual with superiors, and additional performance pressures at work (Singh et al. 5). Compromised mental states also hinder the ability to support their families emotionally and psychologically (Singh et al. 5). Such situations can affect family dynamics and even result in relationship breakdowns where married couples decide to get divorced due to the increased mental health burden. Therefore, mental health issues can significantly affect individuals, their ability to work, support family members, and develop other mental health issues.
Solutions to the Problem
The promotion of well-being through emotional support. The promotion of well-being involves the incorporation of different steps. The initial approach consists of building connections remotely with other individuals with similar interests. It can be done through social media and online interventions that connect individuals with similar backgrounds and interests. Building connections aids in providing emotional support, which is essential in reducing and preventing mental health issues (Schlesselman et al. 677). Individuals should also ensure that they are involved in different forms of activity (Amaya and Melnyk 8). Activities during the coronavirus pandemic can include working out at home or participating in virtual yoga classes routinely. Individuals should also take notice of their environments and savor the moment. Individuals are encouraged to recognize and appreciate the positive things in their lives, which might improve their mental health. It is also essential to increase engagement in positive activities and continuous learning. Learning new activities or something new is vital to making individuals pre-occupied, which reduces the level of worry that individuals have concerning the pandemic. The identified activities are concerned with the promotion of well-being. Therefore, promoting individual well-being is one of the approaches needed to solve mental health issues during the pandemic.
Solutions to mental health issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic involve providing financial support, counseling services, accessibility to mental health services, and leveraging educational support. Since most individuals have lost their employment source, individuals need financial help to ease the feelings of financial pressures associated with the pandemic (Jaguga and Kwobah 4). The financial aid can come from governments or non-governmental organizations. The health departments in every country should ensure continued access to health services for mental health issues and other ailments (Singh et al. 1). Governments should ensure that they eliminate distractions that might hinder patients from accessing mental health services and treatments. The preventative measures against the coronavirus can introduce new methods such as virtual counseling to meet individual patient needs. Community health workers can undergo psychological first aid training to increase access to mental health support (Jaguga and Kwobah 3). Finally, it is essential to leverage educational support (Amaya and Melnyk 7). The approach will help prepare students in dealing with the pandemic while ensuring that they remain proactive in their studies.
Conclusion
The coronavirus pandemic has affected different aspects of people’s lives, including their mental well-being. The mental health issues ranging from depression to delirium. The problems are propelled further due to job loss, anxiety, exacerbation of pre-existing mental health issues, and lack of access to mental health services. The development of mental health issues disrupts people’s lives by limiting their ability to work, support their families, and mental breakdown. Therefore, the paper proposes that the promotion of well-being, financial support, access to mental health services, counseling, and leveraging educational support are essential means of solving the problem.
Works Cited
Alradhawi, Mohammed, Nour Shubber, Jack Sheppard, and Yousif Ali. “Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being Amongst Individuals in Society a Letter to the Editor on “the Socio-Economic Implications of the Coronavirus and Covid-19 Pandemic: a Review”.” International Journal of Surgery (London, England). 78, (2020): 147-148.
Amaya, Megan, and Bernadette M. Melnyk. “Leveraging System-Wide Well-Being and Resiliency in Higher Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal. 4.1 (2020): 7-16.
Jaguga, Florence, and Edith Kwobah. “Mental Health Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Kenya: a Review.” International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 14.1 (2020): 1-6.
Jakhar, Jitender, and Pradip Kharya. “Social Distancing and Promoting Psychological Well Being during Covid-19 Pandemic.” The International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2020 (2020): 1-4.
Otu, Akaninyene, Carlo Handy Charles, and Sanni Yaya. “Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being during the Covid-19 Pandemic: the Invisible Elephant in the Room.” International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 14.1 (2020): 1-5.
Rajgopal, Thirumalai. “Mental Well-Being at the Workplace.” Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 14.3 (2010): 63-5.
Schlesselman, Lauren, Jeff Cain, and Margarita Divall. “Improving and Restoring the Well-Being and Resilience of Pharmacy Students during a Pandemic.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 84.6 (2020): 677-682.
Singh, Shweta, Deblina Roy, Krittika Sinha, Sheeba Parveen, Ginni Sharma, and Gunjan Joshi. “Impact of Covid-19 and Lockdown on Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: a Narrative Review with Recommendations.” Psychiatry Research. 293, (2020). 1-11.