Mental health and pandemic

“ Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all it is only in the darkest nights that the stars shine more brilliantly.” – IMAM ALI IBNE ABU TALIB (A.S)

“ How strange and foolish is man. He loses his health in gaining wealth, and then to regain his health back he wastes his wealth. He ruins his present while worrying about his future, but weeps in the future by recalling his past. He lives as though death shall never come to him, but dies in a way as if he was never born. ”

– IMAM ALI (A.S)

The Covid-19 and the resultant lockdowns have caused a global  discomposure. This pandemic will likely result in a large increase in the incidence and prevalence of anxiety and depression and experts are already warning of an “echo pandemic” of mental health problems. It is extremely important to understand the prevalence and influencing factors of anxiety and depression symptoms and their coping styles for these negative emotions.

Since mid December of 2019, coronavirus (COVID-19) has been identified in many countries. Stress represents the main environmental risk factor for psychiatric illness, and in a long term stress state, people can be more prone to illness, or other mental diseases, which also increase the risk of infection. During lockdown, the closure of universities and colleges, such physical and social interaction had been restricted resulting in stress especially in students and researchers. In addition, online learning may be disruptive due to technological issues and thereby, jeopardizing their future carriers. Conversely, for health care professionals , many are not working in the manner that they did earlier, and those who are working are fatigued and stressed since they have to work in extremely challenging situations and for long hours. Notably, many frontline doctors and healthcare professionals have been infected with covid-19.

COVID-19 introduced a tremendous amount of uncertainty all around the globe, which no doubt contributed to the inflation of anxiety. People are worried about the increasing number of confirmed diagnoses and deaths. People are anxious about overloading the healthcare system, the health of family members, their own health, or stress and mental health from being socially isolated. There are also pressure related to personal finances (eg. Job losses, rents, bills, the economic downturn). There is also an increase in alcohol and cannabis use during the pandemic among such patients.

As we all know that being connected with others is important for our psychological health and that social isolation can be harmful both physically and psychologically. If this pandemic physical distancing measures continue, people will feel increasingly isolated. As a result, the experience of  acute anxiety will eventually turn into episodes of panic attacks and persistent anxiety leads to GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and depression for a large number of people, unless effective supports are established and coping strategies implemented. Many suicidal cases had been reported in this pandemic period because of anxiety and depression. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more difficult for individuals to get out and engage in activities that they usually do that provides pleasure ( e.g. shows, restaurants, shopping  Gyms, sports fields and going to the place of employment). In addition, it’s difficult for many people  to figure out a work-life balance during this time (e.g. many individuals have been catapulted into simultaneous duties associated with being a parent, a teacher, and an employee).

So, adopting a positive coping style will help to improve their negative emotions. It is conceivable that overtime, as the population becomes used to social distancing, ensuring good hand hygiene, and  sanitizing various objects, anxiety will begin to level off. Communicating with friends and family within and outside of the household had largely positive effects on mental health. In terms of everyday activities, daily news about coronavirus had the largest negative impact on mental health, whereas reading books, doing religious work, helping needy people, engaging in household chores, having pets and entertainment etc. seemed to have a positive impact on self-reported mental health.

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Dr. SARWAT FATMA
M.B.B.S, DPM (Psychiatry)

Under the guidance of:
Dr. RAZA IMAM KAZMI
M.B.B.S, M.D (Psychiatric), FIPS
( Senior Consultant Psychiatrist )