Psychological effects of covid-19
Since the first case of coronavirus was reported in December 2019 in China, the virus has spread nearly to all parts of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only given rise to the risk of death from its infection but also hard to bear psychological pressure. It has resulted to an economic downfall that has negatively affected many people’s psychological wellness and established new hindrances for people amongst those people who have been suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc in all sectors of human life, psychologists expect the mental wellness burden to rise. The various measures are taken to curb the spread of COVID-19, such as keeping social distances, business, and school closures, and shelter-in-place orders leads to more isolation as well as likely financial distress.
Background
Before the novel coronavirus pandemic, nearly one in every five US citizens, that is approximately 47 million, disclosed having a psychological ailment in the past year. Amongst them, more than 11 million had serious mental sickness that mostly leads to functional impairment and slow routine activities. Risks of youths becoming depressed were also high. For instance, in 2017-2018, at least 20 million US nationals across all ages reported having gone through a depressive moment in the previous year. More worrying, deaths resulting for drug overdose have increased tremendously in the past two decade. As a result, during this COVID-19 era of uncertainty and fear, there is a high possibility that mental illness cases and substance use disorders among these vulnerable people will rise even higher. Additionally, epidemics have always brought about stress amongst the people affected and can easily result to new psychological wellness and substance abuse issues.
Mental Health Risks Resulting from Social Isolation
As the US and the world at large awaits for scientists and medics to come up with a COVID-19 cure, the US national government in collaboration with the local governments have ordered immediate closure of non-essential businesses and schools, barned all sorts of large gatherings, mandated quarantines for travelers, in addition to the spirited social distancing campaign. Also, worst hit states have ordered all workers to stay at home except those who provide essential services. As a result, renowned mental health doctors have raised an alarm that the widespread loneliness could be a recipe for more complicated health concerns that can potentially lead to reduced lifespan and increased mental and physical ailments. Furthermore, past studies on the psychological effects of quarantine during other health pandemics reveals that quarantines impacts mental health negatively.
A poll conducted by KFF Tracking body between March 25 and March 30 this year, revealed that 47% of people in quarantine facilities reported feeling mentally disturbed as a result of too much worry or stress associated with COVID-19. Notably, this rate is a bit higher than the 37% reported from people who were not in quarantine centers disclosing mental health issues associated with the novel coronavirus disease. Moreover, people who feel like their normal life have been severely hit are more likely to register negative psychological health impacts compared to those who either feel like their lives have been slightly affected or not affected at all.
Effects of Social Isolation on Older Adults
The aged group of people in any society have a higher likelihood of developing serious ailments if they get infected by COVID-19 compared to any other group of people in the entire population. The novel coronavirus seem to thrive higher amongst people with weaker immune system and it so happens that older adults have weak immune system. As a result, this group of people have been advised to be more careful and to practice social distancing with more vigor. However, these measures could significantly reduce social interactions with their loved ones and caregivers, thereby making them feel more lonely and anxious, in addition to the general feelings of unpredictability and terror resulting from the pandemic.
The latest KFF Tracking Poll revealed that adults aged between 18 and 64 have a high likelihood of disclosing stress related concerns compared to older adults aged 65 and above. However, further research shows that the aged people in the society are already vulnerable to falling victims of mental health illness as a result of loneliness and bereavement. In 2018, it was reported that approximately 27% of older adults reported living alone. Amongst them, 13.7% disclosed that the sometimes get depressed on monthly basis. With the present-day pandemic, this group of people could be the hardest hit from the mental and physical illness resulting from it if proper measurers intended to safeguard them are not put into place.
Effects of Social Isolation on Children and Adolescents
As one of the various measure implemented in combating the quick and dangerous spread of COVID-19, almost all states in the US have temporarily closed schools, affecting 30 million students as well as their parents or guardians at large. The closures may negatively impact the family unit beyond the interference of the children’s education. For example, a news statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on long-term school closures warns that students who benefit from school services such as meal programs and the general health services may be severely affected. It further warns that the affected students may develop psychological related illnesses as a result of reduced chances to engage with peers. If the pandemic is not curbed in the near future and the schools remain closed, the present-day mental health illness cases among teenagers are likely shoot to a high figure never imagined before.
Mental Health Risks caused by Job Loss and Income Insecurity
According to a report released by the Department of Labor, 5.2 million people applied for unemployment benefits in the week of April 5. That figure increased the number of people in need of unemployment benefits to a historic figure of 22 million people. Some economic sectors, such as the entertainment industry, have nearly collapsed. More disturbing, analysts have projected that more and more people are likely be rendered jobless in the near future as the COVID-19 pandemic continuous to wear on. Worryingly, past studies have always associated job loss depression, anxiety and low self-esteem that can easily lead to substance abuse. Furthermore, as more and more people continue to be rendered jobless and a likely recession approaches, suicide cases may go high. For example, a KFF Tracking poll result released on early April found that 26% of people going through job or income loss disclosed risky mental health status compared to 15% amongst those whose jobs were still secure.
Burnout and Strains among Frontline Medical Professionals
Most hospitals across the US are filled with the ever rising number of people presenting who have symptoms associated with COVID-19. As a result, the frontline healthcare workers have become overstretched. Past studies states that burnout in hospitals is more prevalent on nurses. Doctors can also go through burnouts. These burnouts can cause mental health ailments like depression amongst all medical staffs. They are also prone to committing suicide. Among the latest KFF polls, it has been found out that almost half of the people residing in the same household with a medic disclosed that the stress associated with coronavirus have disturbed their psychological health. In comparison, the same report states that the number of people living with a health care worker who reported experiencing negative mental health impact is a bit lower.
Psychological Health Risks related to Poor Physical Health
According to the CDC, patients who have been diagnosed with life-threatening diseases like chronic lung disease serious heart conditions, asthma, as well as diabetes are likely to be hardest hit if they contract COVID-19. Past and recent studies show that psychological health disorders often affect these type of patients. The Early April KFF tracking Poll revealed that 53% of patients with poor health records disclosed that stress and associated with COVID-19 has severely affected their psychological wellness, compared with the 44% of those with proper health status. Among those who possess poor health history, 29% revealed a major negative impact on their mental health in comparison to 17% on those with proper health status.