Covid-19 Mental Health Impacts
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Covid-19 Mental Health Impacts
Introduction
Covid 19 is affecting mental health on an unprecedented scale. People all over the world are grappling with fear, anxiety, and insecurity over their survival. The coronavirus can be passed from one person to another. Thus making people distrustful, fearful, suspicious, and even in some cases hostile towards their fellow human beings, which are significantly associated with racism and xenophobia extremities (Fried).
Covid-19 impacts on mental health
There are so many things this isolation and anxiety-inducing contretemps is causing.
Elderly: fear of catching this thing, fear of spending more than can be afforded to keep safe, not having the ability to touch or hold loved ones, having people (friends AND total strangers) wearing masks whenever they do get out of the house(Roberts 129-130).
Middle-aged adults: having children at home instead of school, fearing their parents might get sick, worrying they might lose their jobs or not be able to get another if they did, worrying incessantly if this whole mess will be cleared up before too long, stress, anxiety, depression, and worry(Roberts 129-130).
Young adults: worry, anxiety, economy
Kids: school is different, mom and dad are different, the news is scary, people are dying, can’t hang with my friends, can’t go anywhere, can’t do anything except make mom and dad more frustrated(Roberts 129-130).
Further covid-19 has also brought depression about the future; many people have lost their jobs, their housing because of high rent, relationship problems in families, problems in distant relationships, and many other reasons for depression (Romero-Rivas).
It has also brought about substance abuse disorders because many people have stacked up against their drinks or other substances pre lockdown and the people who have not or are going through severe phases of withdrawal symptoms (Romero-Rivas).
The pandemic is devastating because it leaves us to do nothing. We are required to isolate ourselves, sit still in our homes while our finances crumple. Our lack of control is causing us anxiety, sleepless nights, and damaging our mental health day by day (Romero-Rivas).
The thing is in our civilized worlds; the virus isn’t our only enemy. Our survival is also threatened by the disruption in our finances and everyday functioning of business. Even if we end up protecting our bodies and health by remaining in isolation indoors, we are failing to protect other crucial factors of livelihood – like business and travel for essential purposes(Marko, Curkovic, et al.).
Response mechanisms
To counter helplessness, we end up overworking, making poor rash decisions, and leading to disheartening outcomes. We fall into vicious cycles of exhausting ourselves, further weakening our mental well-being (Romero-Rivas).
Borrowing from the United States Centre for Disease Control article featured on the New York Times, it came to light that there is an increase in the number of individuals being affected by depression, anxiety, and panic-related issues due to the pandemic. However, some individuals have the tools needed to deal with these issues, and psychotherapists are working on reinforcing those skills. Most of the therapy is being provided online through secure apps. Also, Medicare, in many cases, has promised to pay for such therapy as also some insurances for some kinds of therapy (Marko, Curkovic, et al.).
In-hospital therapy is still going on like before, but with additional precautions. Most of the specialty programs, like partial hospital and intensive outpatient programs, are closed. This is for both mental health and substance use(Usher 315-318).
Response mechanisms recommendations
The first recommendation is to meditate daily 2 times a day. Learn to relax in any situation with just a simple signal like a deep breath. If you have never practiced meditation working with a good guided meditation audio program can be very useful, especially Meditation 1. It is a good basic meditation and teaches you a signal that allows you to relax any time and anywhere. It is essential to practice meditation and your signal before you need it. If you practice every day, that skill will be there for you when you need it(Usher 315-318).
The second recommendation is to learn and practice Mindfulness. Mindfulness is quite easy and applicable in many areas of life. With Mindfulness, you will learn how to pay close attention to the present moment and to see and to experience it objectively and clearly. When you practice Mindfulness correctly, it will dissolve anxiety, but it does take a great deal of practice. Again, it takes practice to get good at this and for Mindfulness to be useful, but it does work well (Marko, Curkovic, et al.).
The third recommendation is to schedule a session or two with a good psychotherapist who can support and guide you and also teach you how to deal with and to overcome any mental health issue cropping up from the pandemic. This can be worth its weight in gold, and learning the skills necessary will last all your life (Usher 315-318).
Further, keep the same schedule as before Covid-19. If you were working, block out those same hours and work around the house. If you have children, involve them as well. They, too, need structure. If you are homeschooling for the first time, keep in mind that when their teachers give them classwork, she stays there with them, not wander off to do her own thing. Take breaks as normal. Let the kids have “recess,” and if possible, go outside to get rid of energy. It is physically and mentally good for them. Give them specific time limits. Limits for your breaks as well(Roberts 129-130).
Conclusion
The majority of people are afraid of rapid change, and the COVID-19 pandemic is creating rapid change in our world. Once the pandemic has ended, and the virus is contained, and there is a viable vaccine available to everyone, there will still be millions of people with PTSD and depression as a result of the intense emotions and traumas associated with their reactions to the pandemic.
It is, therefore, important to learn how to deal with rapid change in our world because this is not the last time something like this will happen. We can thrive through change, or we can fail to thrive. I hope everyone chooses to thrive.
Works Cited
Fried, Eiko I. “Mental Health and Social Contact During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.” 2020.
Marko, Curkovic, et al. “Stay home while going out – Possible impacts of earthquake co-occurring with COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and vice versa.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2020.
Roberts, William O. “Life in the Time of COVID-19.” Current Sports Medicine Reports, vol. 19, no. 4, 2020, pp. 129-130.
Romero-Rivas, Carlos, and Sara Rodríguez-Cuadrado. “Moral decision-making and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 2020.
Usher, Kim, et al. “The COVID‐19 pandemic and mental health impacts.” International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, vol. 29, no. 3, 2020, pp. 315-318.