As we all know, COVID-19 has been cramping our style. In such times of uncertainty and a lack of predictability for the future, it would be understandable that we may all be experiencing heightened levels of stress and worry, which may lead to further challenges. Issues with the pandemic span further than the virus itself, including implications on mental health/illnesses, physical health, and sociocultural experiences. Being aware of these implications could help you be more understanding of and compassionate to yourself and others through these dark times.
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
There are so many things to consider when talking about the implications of a global pandemic on one’s mental health. According to the theorized diathesis-stress model of mental illness, it can be suggested that if one is predisposed to a mental illness, a life stressor can push them to a clinical threshold. Additionally, for those who already experience mental illness, a stressor such as a global pandemic, may exacerbate their symptoms. A pandemic provides the perfect landscape for the possible onset, maintenance and/or exacerbation of anxiety disorders, as well as other mental illnesses, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance-use disorders, among others. Individual differences between people may mitigate or exacerbate the harms from the experience of stress.
In terms of mental health/illness, special attention should be given to those on the frontlines of the pandemic (i.e. healthcare workers) who are frequently exposed to the real-life threat of the virus, and are faced with viewing the poor health outcomes of patients who contract the virus. As well, those who survive COVID-19 may have unique reactions to this event ranging from potential increased risk for poor mental health outcomes, or resilience.
Some people use drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress. For those who experience substance-use addictions, using drugs may be more frequent as a reaction to additional stress. A possible limitation of resources and coping tools may add to this issue. Even for those who wouldn’t be considered to have substance-use challenges, or those who have been sober, there may be a lean towards using drugs and alcohol out of boredom, due to being out of work, school, and lacking a stimulating social life. As seen in the 2008-2009 recession, there was a decrease in overall alcohol consumption but an increase in instances of binge-drinking, suggesting that in a similar time of stress and uncertainty, people who consume alcohol may shift to drink in maladaptive ways. Another point related to alcohol is that consumption increases risky behaviour and impulsivity, so those who (mis)use may be more likely to ignore public-health guidelines, such as social-distancing and proper hand-hygiene. With possible increases in substance-use, there comes possible increased susceptibility to COVID-19 and less optimistic health outcomes if the virus is contracted.
PHYSICAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
Have you had changes to your sleep related to the pandemic? Sleeping in more often? Staying up late? Do you notice yourself tossing and turning through the night? With such physical and mental arousal from stress, changes to sleep, including its quality, are expected. If COVID-19 is causing you stress, keep in mind how much this just may be impacting your physical and mental health, including your sleep and your body’s important internal clock.
Those with underlying medical conditions have poorer health outcomes when faced with COVID-19, but for many, access to routine supports and healthcare has been limited which may worsen health trouble. A limitation of routine supports could impact more groups, including children who may be missing or delaying vaccinations and routine check-ups.
ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS
With economic adversity stemming from the pandemic, comes another set of problems. Financial hardship has been related to mental health issues, addiction, physical health concerns and challenges with interpersonal relationships. Occupational stress may also be seen, with special consideration for those who are primary caregivers to children home from school, being an additional responsibility. Low socioeconomic status can be related to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, negative life events, health challenges, and high mortality rates.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Although older adults are faced with the most poor health outcomes from COVID-19, we must also consider the unique challenges that children may face during this time. From a developmental perspective, many children have been missing out on social and educational experiences. Additionally, there may be more of a risk for child abuse with children at home and a lack of teacher or child protection agency witnesses and intervention. As well, children may be experiencing exploitation as a means for offsetting financial hardships, which could lead to major psychological distress. If you happen to notice a child in a situation that doesn’t seem right, please report it.
This pandemic is not a fun time for anyone, but there are still particular groups who may be at more of a disadvantage through this pandemic and its surrounding issues, including racial/ethnic minority groups, people who experience homelessness, those who are incarcerated, or live in poverty-stricken areas.
Although these messages can be difficult to digest, there are some take home messages that you can think about to hopefully mitigate some of these potential implications of this pandemic on yourself. Take care of yourself and do what you can to protect your mental and physical health through these challenging times. Reach out to online resources that have become available, and stay connected to others as much as you can. Try to stick to a routine and get a proper amount of sleep and exercise. Be kind to others because they may be handling this in different ways than you are, and they may have additional struggles that you are unaware of. Keeping these in mind may help you understand others and yourself in a more considerate light.
It will be interesting to see the necessary future research findings of the short and long-term effects of the pandemic on well-being. Hopefully we will be able to use these findings to improve outcomes of future pandemics.
REFERENCE
Zvolensky, M. J., Garey, L., Rogers, A. H., Schmidt, N. B., Vujanovic, A. A., Storch, E. A., Buckner, J. D., Paulus, D. J., Alfano, C., Smits, J. A. J., O'Cleirigh, C. (2020). Psychological, addictive, and health behavior implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 134, 103715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2020.103715
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