The news has been overflowing with articles about Covid-19 and this pandemic currently going on. But one thing that we have forgotten to focus on this past year is our mental health, and caring for it. Mental health issues have been on the rise ever since this pandemic started, and it has gone almost unnoticed.
Covid-19 has forced us into a new normal, which most of us are still uncomfortable with to this day. This causes many issues, to both people without mental disorders, and with mental disorders before this year.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders.” Says Chidambaram in his article about the implications of Covid-19 for mental health and substance use.
This pandemic has also caused most people to have even more stress built into what is going on in our own lives. According to Chidambaram, more people are worried about the pandemic even more than at the beginning of it all.
“In a KFF Tracking Poll conducted in mid-July, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. This is significantly higher than the 32% reported in March, the first time this question was included in KFF polling.”
Nurses and workers on the frontlines of this pandemic are especially vulnerable to impact on their emotional and mental wellbeing.
“Many hospitals across the country are overwhelmed with the increasing number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. This has rapidly increased the demands on frontline health care workers, some of whom are also overwhelmed by supply shortages. A recent study examined the mental health outcomes of health care providers working in China during the coronavirus outbreak, finding that providers reported feelings of depression, anxiety, and overall psychological burden. This experience was particularly acute among nurses, women, and providers directly involved in diagnosing and treating patients with COVID-19.”
Self Isolation is one of the hardest things to go through during this time, and it causes even more feelings of stress and loneliness on top of what we are already trying to overcome. Loneliness is a feeling that can especially lead to problems, such as mental health and substance abuse issues and suicide.
“A broad body of research links social isolation and loneliness to both poor mental and physical health. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has brought attention to the widespread experience of loneliness as a public health concern in itself, pointing to its association with reduced lifespan and greater risk of both mental and physical illnesses (Dr. Murthy serves on the KFF Board of Trustees). Additionally, studies of the psychological impact of quarantine during other disease outbreaks indicate such quarantines can lead to negative mental health outcomes. There is particular concern about suicidal ideation during this time, as isolation is a risk factor for suicide.”
All in all, it is essential to take care of others during this pandemic. But most importantly, you should be caring for yourself and your physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental wellbeing as well.