Effects of COVID-19 on Mental Health

The advent of COVID-19 has put the world in great turmoil. It has affected us in many aspects such as socially, economically, physically, and mentally. With the beginning of COVID-19 in Pakistan, people staying at home in quarantine and self-isolation are under physical and psychological pressure. The majority of the citizens have lost their jobs and they are seriously in stressed situations.

1. The public is being informed about the physical effects of SARS-COVID-19 infection and steps taken to control the spread of the coronavirus and manage the symptoms effectively for those who are being the victims. However, the impact of this pandemic on one’s mental health has not yet been measured appropriately. There has been very little information on the effects on one’s mental health.
   
2. A pandemic is not just a medical phenomenon; it has its profound effects on public mental health and changed daily routines, and causes disruption, stress, stigma, and xenophobia. It causes anxiety-related behaviors, sleeps disturbances, and overall lower perceived state of health.
   
3. Professor Tiago Correia emphasized in his editorial as the health systems worldwide are gathering completely to fight the COVID‐19 outbreak, which can significantly affect the management of other diseases including mental health, which usually enhances during the pandemic.
   
4. The psychological state varies from person-to-person and it depends on his background, professional and social standings.
   
5. Quarantine and self‐isolation can most likely cause a negative impact on one’s mental health. A review published in The Lancet said that the separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, boredom, and hesitation can impair an individual’s mental health status.
   
6. Children way from their school, friends, and colleagues can suffer from psychological problems Separation from parents and friends can put the children in grief. Kids can experience anxiety, distress, social isolation, which can have short‐ or long‐term effects on their mental health.
   
7. Elder people are highly susceptible to the COVID-19 outbreak as they are already at increased risk of cardiovascular, autoimmune, neurocognitive, and mental health problems. So social isolation among the elderly may give birth to irritating and shouting behavior and emotional anger.
   
8. Health care professionals who work as a front‐line force to fight the COVID-19 to develop mental health symptoms. Fear of getting a disease, long working hours, patients dealing, unavailability of effective COVID‐19 medication, and death of their colleagues after exposure to COVID‐19, social distancing, and isolation from their friends and family can adversely affect their mental health. In general, individuals who recently just recover from the pandemic can face stigmatization and develop a mix of emotions. Everyone may feel differently and have a different welcome by society when they come out of quarantine.
   
9. Health care workers who try to save people’s lives and limit the spread of COVID-19 can also face stigmatization for being suspected of COVID-19. COVID-19 is basically a global crisis, so collective efforts are necessary to deal with the pandemic (Thakur & Jain, 2020).

In the case of Pakistan, it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to bring effective strategies by following the guidelines set by the world health organization (WHO). Pakistan’s track record on mental health issues is not significant as estimated that there are over 50 million people suffering from a mental health disorder.

References:

1. Mumtaz M. COVID-19 and mental health challenges in Pakistan. International journal of social psychiatry. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6754-8941  2. Javed B, Sarwer A, Soto EB, Mashwani Z‐R. The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic's impact on mental health. Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2020;1–4. 10.1002/hpm.3008  3. Moukaddam N, Shah A. Psychiatrists beware! The impact of COVID‐19 and pandemics on mental health. Psychiatric Times 2020. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/psychiatrists-beware-impact-coronavirus-pandemics-mental-health. 4. Correia T. SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemics: the lack of critical reflection addressing short‐ and long‐term challenges. Int J Health Plann Manage. 2020;35:1‐4. 10.1002/hpm.2977. 5. Mental health and coping during COVID‐19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/coping.html. 6. Yao H, Chen J‐H, Xu Y‐F. Patients with mental health disorders in the COVID‐19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(4):e21 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30090-0. 7. Liu JJ, Bao Y, Huang X, Shi J, Lu L. Mental health considerations for children quarantined because of COVID‐19. Lancet Child Adolesc Heal. 2020;4(5):347‐349. 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30096-1. 8. Armitage R, Nellums LB. COVID‐19 and the consequences of isolating the elderly. Lancet Public Heal. 2020;2667(20):30061 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30061-X.