“Papa, why don’t you play with me anymore?” asked three-year-old Raghav from the small window peeping into his father’s room. His father was isolated in a separate room, and Raghav was agitated with these prolific changes. Both the father and son’s mental health was affected due to this longingness to hug each other. However, this wasn’t possible. Dive into this article to know more about how COVID-19 affected our mental health and well-being.
Awareness and the Impact on Mental Health
The population is being educated about the physiological implications of SARSCoV2 infection around the world, as well as precautions to take to avoid exposure to the coronavirus and manage COVID-19 symptoms if they occur. The repercussions of the pandemic on one’s mental health, on the other hand, have not been thoroughly explored and are yet unknown. Because all efforts have been focused on researching the biology, diagnostic criteria, parenchymal, and administration of the COVID-19 outbreak, little effort has been made about the consequences on one’s mental health or ways to avoid social stigma.
Fear, worry, and stress are natural reactions to real and imagined threats, as well as to uncertainties and the unpredictable. As a result, people’s terror in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic is fine and acceptable.
In a pandemic like COVID-19, the fear of getting the virus is compounded by the considerable changes to our daily life as our movements are constrained in favor of efforts to combat and limit the virus’s transmission. Working remotely, temporary unemployment, home-schooling children, and a lack of physical interaction with our loved ones, friends, and coworkers are all changing circumstances that create a great impact on mental health and physical health.
The Grave Reality of the Pandemic
As Aristotle says, “Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human.”
A pandemic is more than just a medical emergency; it affects people and society, causing chaos, anxiety, stress, stigma, and xenophobia. Human conduct as a member of society or a group has a significant impact on the development of a pandemic, including the intensity, flow, and lingering effects.
As more people are forced to stay at home in self-isolation to prevent the infection from spreading further at a societal level, administrations must take the required steps to give mental health care a priority as recommended by specialists.
Self-isolation and quarantine are likely to have a bad impact on one’s mental health. A person’s mental health can deteriorate due to separation from loved ones, lack of independence, boredom, and uncertainty. Individual and societal-level measures are required to overcome this. Both children and adults are facing a range of emotions as a result of the recent world scenario. They may be placed in a setting or atmosphere that is unfamiliar to them and could be harmful to their mental health.
High-Risk Alert!
Children who are at home, absent from college or school, friends, and peers, may have many questions concerning the pandemic, and they turn to their family members for answers. Children and parents do not all react to stress in the same way. Anxiety, distress, social isolation, and an abusive environment can all affect a child’s mental health in the short or long term.
Parents should talk to their kids about the COVID-19 pandemic and offer some good facts, numbers, and knowledge to them. Parents can comfort their children that they are safe at home and actively engage in healthy activities such as indoor sports and mental and physical exercises.
Elderly adults are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic for both medical and social reasons, such as a weakened immune system or other underlying health concerns, as well as the distance from family and friends due to their busy schedules. Medical specialists say that some people aged 60 and up are more likely to contract SARSCoV2 and suffer a serious and life-threatening disease, even if they are otherwise healthy.
Physical separation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak can have a significant negative impact on the mental health of the elderly and disabled. Physical seclusion among friends and family might jeopardize the mental health of the elderly and disabled. It can give them discomfort, anxiety and perhaps put them in a horrific scenario. Elderly individuals rely on their children for their everyday needs, and seclusion can be detrimental to a family system.
Frontline Workers at Risk!
Doctors, nurses, and paramedics who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic may be more vulnerable to mental health issues. Long working hours, a lack of safety equipment and materials, a high patient load, a lack of efficient COVID-19 medication, the demise of a coworker after exposure to COVID-19, social distancing and separation from family and friends, and the precarious position of their patients may all have a major impact on mental health. As the pandemic spreads, health workers’ productivity may steadily deteriorate.
What to do?
- Follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for routine preventative measures (such as immunizations and cancer screenings).
- Allow yourself to relax. Make an effort to participate in some other things that you enjoy.
- Make friends with others. Discuss your thoughts and feelings with someone you can trust.
- Make contact with local or faith-based organizations. Try communicating online, through social media, by phone, or by mail when social distancing measures are in place.
Proper maintenance of oneself will allow you to better care for others. Using phone conversations or video conferences to help others cope with stress might make you and your dear ones feel less lonely and depressed. Ketto has been known for being a highly preferred online crowdfunding platform for highlighting individual and community causes that are in dire need of monetary support in these stressful times. This is where individuals and organizations can post verified pleas for financial help and gather funds to sustain their livelihood.
We pledge everyone’s safety through our awareness campaign, bridging the gap between people from different sections. We urge you to take necessary precautions to ensure your mental health and of your loved ones too. Stay safe, and don’t forget to wear your masks and get the vaccination!
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