COVID-19 has increased the number of identified risk factors for mental illness. Lockdown and physical separation, combined with unpredictability and instability, which result in social isolation, loss of income, depression, inactivity, reduced access to essential resources, increased access to food, alcohol, and online gambling, and decreased family and social support, especially among the elderly and vulnerable.
Groups at Higher Risk for Mental Health Problems During the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Explained by David JC Cutler
- Adults above the age of 45
- The physically strapped individuals who have a more inferior socioeconomic status
- Front-line healthcare staff with a high workload, who had to make life-or-death calls, and they are at high risk of infection
- Those who have to manage homeschool, or are working remotely, and women who are doing domestic chores on a day-to-daybasis in particular, are at a disadvantage
- Victims of domestic violence
- Individuals who may have already struggled with mental well-being or addiction disorders. Those who have become exacerbated by their inability to attend their daily peer support.
The pandemic has likely impacted mental health in many ways, including pervasive social alienation resulting from necessary protection precautions. Social alienation and depression are linked together. They are the reason for inadequate mental and physical well-being in a large body of study. Even before the pandemic, the pervasive perception of isolation has become a public health issue due to its connection to a shorter lifespan and a higher risk of mental and physical ailments.
Although It’s Natural to Be Concerned, There Are Several Things We Can Do to Boost Our Resilience During This Period:
- Social exclusion leads to a greater risk of chronic disease morbidity and all-cause mortality. Smoking and lack of physical exercise, for example, can instigate more than 30% of this impact. Take some long breaths. Extend the muscles. Get meditating. Try to eat pretty well-balanced meals, rotate your body daily, get plenty of rest, and keep alcohol and medications to a minimum. This would aid in the improvement of your immunity — as well as your endurance.
- Encourage kids to listen consciously and to approach situations with an open mind. When children can share and convey their distressing emotions in a healthy and positive atmosphere, it allows them to relax.
- Individuals should do psychological exercise distancing as one of the most effective approaches to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic further. This entails staying away from areas where people congregate and keeping a safe distance (roughly six feet or two meters) from others.
These suggestions are constructive if you have a pre-existing mental health disorder. Hold any visits you have with your psychiatrist or doctor. Ask if video appointments are available if you aren’t doing good physically. Children with special needs, such as those on the autism spectrum or those with other disorders, are also at risk explains David JC Cutler. As their everyday habits break, they will become irritated and irritable. To alleviate anxiety caused by confusion, parents may develop a routine for their kids.