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Mental Health, An Ignored Repercussion of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Posted on by sgallo-kolegue

The Covid-19 pandemic has stirred up complications in nearly all facets of our modern world. At the forefront of these affected facets are economics and physical health. Mental health, however, seems to be avoided in coverage by media platforms around the world, despite its extreme relevance and importance. The relationship between economic and health crises, and day to day mental health among those suffering their repercussions, is linear. It only makes sense that attention to mental health in the time of this pandemic is prioritized in line with other issues that contribute to its existence. 

Considering new advancements in technology, inflation in prices of goods, and other daunting aspects of our modern world, mental health was already a global threat prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Historically, increases in rates of severe mental illnesses have often followed in the aftermath of national crises. For example, during the decade of the Great Depression from 1929 to 1939, the suicide rate rose from 13.9 to 17.4 per 100,000. Traumatic memories of surviving years of hardship during the Great Depression resulted in high rates of anxiety and depressed mood for generations. Although economic downturns disproportionately affected the health and well-being of the lower income segment of the population, all socioeconomic groups are negatively impacted (Climo).

With cases rising along with global unemployment rates, citizens being encouraged to stay home and social distance, and the uncertainty of it all, mental health seems to be just as big a problem as any other. A recent study involving 1563 health professionals reported that more than half (50.7%) of the participants reported depressive symptoms, 44.7% anxiety and 36.1% sleep disturbance. Moreover, there are not adequate services to provide counselling and psychiatric screening services for anxiety, depression and suicidality for physicians who have been dealing with infected persons (Kar). Humans are physically strong, but psychologically weak, if we want to see a change in the personal mental health of our citizens, we must invest in programs that combat its effects. In April, texts to a federal emergency mental-health line were up 1,000 percent from the year before (Stern). How can a statistic like this be overlooked?

As millions of people around the world battle direct results of this virus, the most important may lie unaddressed. Together, it’s our job to publicly voice our opinion on where we stand with mental health, and where we’d like to go.

Works Cited

Kar, Sujita Kumar, et al. “Coping with Mental Health Challenges During COVID-19.” Edited by Shailendra K. Saxena, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapeutics , U.S. National Library of Medicine, 30 Apr. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7189395/.

Climo, Lawrence. “Minefields and Med-Checks: Getting to the Right Questions.” Psychiatric Times, 6 Aug. 2019, www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/minefields-med-checks-getting-right-questions.

Stern, Jacob. “This Is Not a Normal Mental-Health Disaster.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 7 July 2020, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/07/coronavirus-special-mental-health-disaster/613510/.

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  1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post! I see some news articles here and there discussing mental health and covid, but I tend to feel that they just scratch the surface of what is truly happening and how many are feeling during this extremely stressful time. In your post you reference that during the Great Depression suicide rates rose. I had never heard that before and find it interesting that we really don’t talk about that tragic reality. What are some ways in which you believe that we could help to combat some of this psychological fatigue? I feel like there are so many different avenues for mental healthcare, but they tend to be more accessible to the well off and not to people, like myself, who barely even know where to look for those resources. Part of me hopes that we can make some headway in terms of mental healthcare in the United States.

  2. I agree, around the world many countries are currently battling a pandemic, for some they are fighting more than just an illness, and with everyone so focused on reviving the economy and finding a possible cure, the importance of mental health seems to have been forgotten. I enjoyed reading your article, and even read sources you used to write this, and found them extremely interesting, however I can not help but feel that they onlyscratch the surface of what many are feeling during this extremely stressful time. Furthermore in your article you mentioned the increase of suicide rates during the Great Depression, however the 1929 issue can not be compared to todays world for various reasons. For starters the Great Depression was caused by the crash of the stock market, due to people buying on margin, whereas the cause of Covid-19 is unknown, despite the various theories that are circling the internet. Furthermore, like the Great Depression, in today’s world many people are left jobless, and are relying on government funds. However in the Great Depression the suicide rate decreased, when the government created jobs, something that can not be easily done today as companies are trying to follow CDC guidelines. What would you suggest that we as a nation do in order decrease the number of suicides? As talking about mental health is only the first step in fighting the stigma/issue.

  3. This is such an important issue to discuss, and one that I believe we will be grappling with long after the pandemic. The isolation, uncertainty, trauma and loss resulting so many have been grappling with over the last several months will not simply go away even if the virus does. These are wounds and burdens that take years to heal, if they ever really do.

    As you mentioned, there are so many factors (unemployment, isolation, uncertainty) that on their own could contribute to worsening of mental health, but the combination of all of these has been detrimental. On an anecdotal level, I volunteer with Crisis Text Line* and have seen a huge increase in volume in the last several months. Along with the expected conversations about isolation, grief, and health-related anxiety, I’ve also seen more conversations relating to abuse and relationship issues. Lockdowns and/or quarantine has trapped people with their abusers, and exposed cracks in the foundations of many family and romantic relationships. Again, this in itself is draining, but combined with the plethora of other COVID-related issues has been incredibly destructive for many people.

    * The organization shares their data openly at https://crisistrends.org/ if anyone is interested in taking a deeper dive.

  4. Sgallo-kolegue; Mental Health during covid 19
    Comment:
    I completely agree with the information provided in this blog post, Mental health has been undermined and debunked by many including the media outlets. The evidence you’re provided which states that mental health cases were up 10000 percent is a huge concern for our nation and is a problem that should not be overlooked. With the acceleration of depression rising in various communities its our job to implement strategies and coaching sessions in order to provide hope and aid during these difficult tines. Can u think of any ways in which local communities can help combat the pandemic know as mental illness?

  5. You state how mental health was a “global threat” before the pandemic. There wasn’t, and there isn’t enough media coverage about the matter. People have been affected now more with being isolated at home and having their lives
    turned 360 degrees and/ or have been infected with COVID or have had close ones infected. I believe this is when everyone should have some type of help to cope with the changes this pandemic has created. However, when we talk about
    phycologists, many individuals can’t afford their services, or their insurance
    doesn’t cover it. How can individuals that really need assistance to seek help?
    How should the media cover this problem so organizations can help those
    individuals?

  6. I’m very happy that you addressed the issue of mental health not be adequately addressed when discussing the impact of COVID-19 and the issues it brought. However, I feel as though the reasons as to why there has been an increase in reports of depression and anxiety could have been explained further. When people no longer attended school or work in-person, or even lost their job in many cases, a large portion of their life had been changed which could lead to heightened anxiety. Lack of in-person interaction and feelings of isolation heightens the possibility of depressive episodes*. To help solve feelings of isolation, it takes spending time with people and addressing issues in a safe environment. That social connection is incredibly difficult to get right now with social distancing measures. While self-isolation and quarantining are necessary to control the spread of COVID-19, the impact these measures have on mental health must be addressed thoroughly.
    *Source: https://www.psycom.net/depression-5-habits-worse

  7. This post has brought to light such an important conversation that seriously has not been discussed as much as it should be. Those statistics were insane to read about. I agree with everything that you’ve said. With many people being laid off, losing money, battling with health issues, etc., no one has been discussing how these could impact a person’s life mentally. Outlets for help have also not been advertised throughout this pandemic, such as therapists, psychiatrists, doctors, hotlines, you name it. This has been a problem since way before this pandemic as well. The question is, why are these outlets not being advertised for people who need it? This is a question that needs to be brought up more often and the concept of mental health awareness, especially in times like these, needs more attention. Many people are more focused on “bigger things” such as the collapsing economy, the upcoming election, or COVID-19 itself. However, mental health should be considered one of those “bigger things”.

  9. Mental health is one of the most important topics there is to mention especially during a pandemic where millions across the globe are affected. This post has included valuable information that addresses the impact that COVID-19 has created among people everywhere. I believe the news media should include different organizations that help individuals deal with the suffering of mental health. Millions of people across the globe are experiencing severe mental health issues such as, grievance, isolation, anxiety, and paranoia due to COVID-19 itself. I think it’s important for individuals to reach out to each other and provide support towards one another during a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the U.S into a mental health crisis with some clinics already on the verge of collapse. It’s extremely important that people everywhere spread mental health awareness to prevent people’s lives from being lost and to provide the support that is needed.

  10. This post had some really good points and shows what truly had been going on. The importance of discussing mentally health, especially during this pandemic, is not brought up very often. I recently wrote a blog post about abuse and IPV cases so to see your numbers in comparison to what I have found just saddens me even more. This is because typically those with abuse and IPV in their homes hide and suffer from poor mental health. Meaning what isn’t being reported in either of these cases is probably astonishing and so sad. This blog post also raised some questions for me such as, how many of those who have had depression and are experiencing depression currently coping? This is because a lot of times work and school is an escape for those with poor mental health, abuse, and those living with IPV. Also, how many cases do you believe quarantine was the cause of poor mental health?

  11. What an awesome topic to point out! I agree with your thinking and that this topic is being neglected. I really like the topic of how to help and treat mental health when it can’t be done in person should be focused on much more. Your point on humans being psychologically weak is such a great point and I think it really helps show that without the help of someone in person to hold us accountable then sometimes we slip. This slip can just lead to a huge downhill fall for someone’s mental health. It’s very easy to lie over the phone or facetime, meanwhile the person behind the screen may really need help. But the real question is what other alternatives are there? It seems at the moment that phone calls and zoom meetings are the next best thing we have.

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  15. In terms of the COVID patients who were diagnosed with anxiety/depression after the COVID diagnosis, I’d like to know where this research is coming from and how the researchers ruled out confounding variables. For those who don’t know, a confounding variable is a factor that did not measure which may impact the results of the study. For instance, if the COVID patient was isolated from their friends during the diagnosis or if they already had a disposition to depression or anxiety based on their family history of mental illness. I think this data would be very important to explain in your article because so many people will automatically conflate the disease process of COVID with the development of mental illness.
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  21. Very interesting article! Thanks for the news! In my opinion mental health is one of the most essential issues to discuss, particularly in the context of a pandemic that affects millions of people across the world. This article contains important information on the effect that COVID-19 has had on individuals all around the world, and it is well worth reading. I think that the news media should feature a variety of groups that assist people in dealing with the effects of mental health conditions. https://cbdlocalseo.com/

  22. It is very important to realize that the covid 19 pandemic has left a mark on every person who has had coronavirus, not physically and psychologically. Dealing with depression in the post-covid period is now coming to the fore!

  23. Indeed, an increase in anxiety among the population has been observed throughout the entire period of the pandemic. You can cope with this in different ways, up to contacting a specialist.

  25. This post brought out an important conversation that hasn’t been had as often as it should. These statistics are unbelievable to read. Everything you have said is correct. Many people are being laid off, losing their jobs, and dealing with health problems. No one has ever discussed how this could affect a person’s mental health. There have been no advertisements for help, including therapists and psychiatrists, doctors, hotlines and the like. This was a problem long before the pandemic. It begs the question, “Why are these outlets not being advertised to people who really need them?” This is a topic that should be raised more frequently. In times like these, mental health awareness needs more attention. Many people focus more on the “bigger” things, such as the collapsed economy or the election. Mental health should be included in that list.
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