COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China; towards the end of 2019 and in three months it became an alarming situation globally.
In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new corona virus disease, COVID-19; to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO stated that there is a high risk of COVID-19 spreading to other countries around the world.
In March 2020, WHO declared that COVID-19 can be characterized as worldwide pandemic.
COVID-19 has plunged the world into a state of uncertainty and the constant news about the pandemic had caused fear and concern, influenced the cognitive well-being of every individual and disturbed the mental state of people all around the world.
These have especially affected the mental health of those having pre-morbid mental conditions like depression, anxiety, OCD, psychosomatic illnesses, those with impaired coping and problem solving skills, the anxious personalities etc.
Pandemics have an adverse effect on the mental health of people. The fear of exposure to infected people may lead to an increase in anxiety, phobia, paranoia, depression, lack of confidence, state of confusion, social isolation indecisiveness tendencies, feeling fearful, sad, angry and helpless etc, and may even lead to psychomotor excitement, mass hysteria, suicidal tendencies, delirium, and psychotic symptoms.
There may be reductions in people’s sense of trust and control over their own lives. These disrupt personal and professional lives & affect people and societies on several levels.
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting people’s mental health in several ways:
1. It led to a constant sense of insecurity as the outcome cannot be predicted still. People developed insecurity regarding themselves and their loved ones.
2. Stigma towards people with symptoms such as cold, cough or sneezing, which might just be a simple flu.
3. It leads to anxiety symptoms if anyone suffers from any flu like symptoms, fearing it might be COVID-19. They may start developing fear of being stigmatized if diagnosed, which may even prevent them from seeking medical help. This may prove dangerous to the community.
4. Fear of going out from home, using public transport, contacting other people, walking on the road, even while following their daily routine like going for work.
5. The fear of losing job, suffering financial loss because of the national lockdown.
6. People who are continuously engrossed in watching news in mass media and social media may develop stress & panic. Rumor and speculation can fuel anxiety.
7. The old age group people are not able to socialize like going for a walk in the park etc, because of the lockdown.
The repeated news on media that they are the vulnerable group which led to excess concern regarding them among the family members, may in turn lead to development of stress and loneliness in this group.
8. The apprehension & fear among the common public are leading to fear-induced over reactive behavior like panic buying, hoarding food & other essentials commodities, medical supplies like antibiotics, analgesics, anti-allergic medicines, face masks, hand sanitizers etc.
9. Many people are now having to stay far from their own families, relatives, friends either for social distancing, or because of lockdown, quarantine, or not able to come back home due to cancellation of travels.
They may start feeling lethargic, may experience boredom, anxiety, anger, loneliness, restlessness and frustration.
10. Those people who saw infectious disease epidemic or pandemic before in their lifetime, such as Nipah, Ebola or SARS, they may develop the fear of reliving the pandemic/epidemic. Some may even develop mental conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
11. Those patients who are diagnosed positive may develop fear of death because of lack of proper information regarding COVID-19, develop depression, guilt feeling for infecting family members & other people, feel helpless, hopeless, may even develop suicidal tendencies.
12. People may develop negative emotions like sorrow, fear, grief, anger, frustration, hatred etc.; which in turn may lead to negative outcomes.
13. Some may develop pessimistic thoughts that the virus is everywhere, will never go; will always be present in the atmosphere etc.
This will make them overcautious & overanxious for which they may start obsessive behaviors & involve in repeated & excessive cleaning, refuse to touch anything that comes from outside like groceries, currency notes, newspapers, letting people inside house etc.
14. Some may develop excessive preoccupation with physical illness, and may prefer repeated tests to assure they are physically fit, even to the extent of becoming hypochondriacs.
15. Those with preexisting mental illnesses may have exacerbation of symptoms, either because of the stressful situations around, or not taking irregular medicines.
(Dr Chayanika Sarma, Consultant Psychiatrist, Supercare Hospital, Shillong)
