Mental Health Pandemic — Understanding the Psychological Impact of COVID-19

In this COVID-19 pandemic, what is common between the infected and the uninfected person? Consequences on Mental Health.

The implementation of a nationwide lockdown has disrupted our day-to-day lives and has caused a striking shrinkage of the economy and the closure of businesses across the countries. One of the many fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown following it has been the mental health of people.

Amid the outbreak, it’s obvious to feel uncertain, overwhelmed, and worried. We, human beings, are just waiting and wondering how this unexpected pandemic will influence our physical and mental well-being and what scars it will leave on the entire humanity. Life has come to a sudden halt for most of us.

COVID-19 and Mental Health

The subsequently imposed lockdowns to restraint the spread of the virus has led to a greater mental stress. Social isolation, work from home measures are also interlinked with the psychological well-being of individuals across countries. The anticipated consequences of lockdown and social distancing measures are the key risk factors for mental health. Everywhere, cases of attempted suicide, depression, domestic violence, and rates of binge drinking are growing.

• In the US, one in four American adults met the criteria that psychologists use to diagnose serious mental distress and illness. That represents a roughly 700% increase from pre-pandemic data collected in 2018.
• Some Italian survivors of the virus are developing PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder).
• Over 4000 arrests for domestic abuse offenses have been made in the United Kingdom (UK) since March, equating to roughly 100 a day.
• Angus Reid Institute found that 50 percent of Canadians felt their mental health has worsened during the pandemic, indicating high levels of worry and anxiety.
• According to a survey conducted by the Indian Psychiatry Society, there has been a 20 percent rise in mental illness cases, with at least one in five Indians suffering from it.

Dr. Victor Tseng, U.S. critical care physician and Dr. Sohail Gandhi, president of the Ontario Medical Association have predicted mental health consequences as the “fourth wave” of this pandemic with the greatest and most sustained effect. This includes psychological trauma, mental illness, economic injury, and burnout.

Image Source — Dr. Victor Tseng, Twitter

The first wave is the immediate burden on the healthcare system with COVID-19 patients. The second wave includes limited resources for urgent patients with non-COVID-19 conditions. The third wave impacts the interrupted care for those with chronic conditions.

The Psychological Toll of Pandemic on Employees and Organizations

In this Covid-19 pandemic and the consequently resulting lockdown, the contribution of the corporate world has been invaluable if we are to bounce back stronger as a nation. However, organizations are now dealing with an entirely new gamut of issues, much of this is the mental health of employees.

Ever since the world has entered a lockdown phase, the mental wellbeing of our workforce has been put to test like never before in history. People are under constant terror of losing their businesses, jobs, or savings which has spiked the stress, anxiety, and frustration levels amongst them. Not all are able to cope with the sudden and extended shift of WFH (Work From Home) and Zoom fatigue causing low productivity and burnouts.

It’s important to act early if you suspect your employee(s) is experiencing a problem with their mental health. Find out below some of the most common symptoms of mental health problems at work, when you notice one or more of these important signs, it may be time to intervene.

1. Increased absence. Showing up late at work, calling in sick often, or missing meetings could be a sign of mental illness.
2. Lack of productivity. Mental health issues make it hard to focus and be attentive.
3. Mood swings, emotionally unstable, and uncharacteristic and erratic behavior could be associated with mental illness.
4. Increased irritability, anger, or aggression. This can be noticed in how they deal with co-workers and approach projects.
5. Socially withdrawn or avoiding interaction. Many people with mental health concerns suffer from self-loathing, isolation, and loneliness.
6. Frequent physical complaints, persistent sadness, excessive worrying, poor sleep patterns, increase in substance use are also some signs to watch for.

Mental health concerns are unlike other performance-related issues and therefore, the approach must be different while approaching your employees for the same. You must be empathetic to their concerns and personal problems.

Over the past few years supporting mental health at the workplace has become an increasing focus for organizations. Now is a good idea to take extra measures to ensure that employees feel cared for and supported in this pandemic situation. Many companies have already implemented employee assistance and wellbeing programs. Companies can also consider offering Mental Health courses to their employees to provide coverage to various mental health therapies.

Staying committed to caring for your workforce and giving them the support they need to be happy and healthy at work will ultimately improve sickness absence rates and productivity.

Apart from programs and policies, employers can take several steps to address the challenges and to assist employees with the “new normal” of home confinement. For example, employers should consider the following -

1. Encourage and educate employees to take care of their physical and mental health. Encourage them to take breaks as and when needed.
2. Encourage employees to take collective breaks while they work from home and enjoy a cup of coffee with each other online, just as they use to connect during coffee and lunch breaks in the office. This will help your employees feel connected and supported in isolation.
3. Stay connected with employees in real-time over the phone or through video calls for regular scheduled sync-ups. Also, arrange calls where you can casually connect with your employees.
   Like at Scalex, we connect with all our team twice a week over a video conference call for light-hearted chit-chat and the sharing of jokes, videos, and experiences. This helps us to see how the team is doing and set up an energy check.
4. Team leads, managers, and human resources professionals should proactively connect with their team members and identify signs of employee distress, such as erratic work hours, sudden and unexplained changes at work, or lack of availability or responsiveness.
5. Consider opportunities to upskill your employees. Provide access to online learning platforms to empower employees, increase organizational capability, and resilience.

Demonstrating to your workforce that employee well-being is always your top priority will be a worthwhile endeavor.

Companies need to utilize their resources to guard their most valuable asset, ‘the employees’. If in the coming days, workforces remain in positive spirits and good mental health, the struggle to regain the lost battle will get the best start possible.

Minding your Minds — Protect your Mental Health

Since there are changes imposed on a real-time basis, there is a lot of stress and confusion in attempting to keep up with the latest rules. To keep up with the awareness about the pandemic and the risks that one may be exposed to is causing people to feel fearful and disturbed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a 31-point guidance to advise the population on protecting their mental health.

While focusing on how to slow the spread of the virus is important for our physical health, however, identifying ways to manage our mental health is also crucial. Here are a few practical suggestions that will help you to “adjust to the new normal” and alleviate stress and anxiety during the crisis.

1. Stay informed but ensure that the information is from authentic sources.
2. Social media is probably the most vulnerable source for the spread of COVID-19 in our minds. Stay away from such distractions and negative environments, this is a first step towards improving your mental well-being.
3. We are in the middle of a global crisis which means there could be breaking news every time. After a certain point, news can be overwhelming and can take a toll on our minds and body. Limit watching the news to one or two times a day or just stay in touch with the facts from the reputable and trusted sources.
4. Take good care of your body — A lot of stress, anxiety, and fear comes from our thoughts. The easiest and quickest way to overcome the negative thoughts is to focus on our body. Focus on stretching your body, do simple exercises or yoga to get your blood flow going, meditate, be mindful about your meals, and get plenty of sleep.
5. Practice Resilience — We need to overcome this crisis with the least possible losses and rebuild our lives together by sticking to the lessons learned from this period and be resilient in facing probable future threats. Focus on things you can control rather than focusing on what you cannot control. Adopt a realistic approach and mindset towards life. Recognize and accept your negative emotions. Be intentional about your emotions and activities like meditating, journaling, cycling, or running, stretching, or talking to friends will serve you well in an increasingly stressful world.
6. Boost Emotional and Social Intelligence — The coronavirus pandemic is proving to be one of the greatest tests of emotional intelligence. Mastering the emotional brain is a matter of understanding, accepting, and regulating our thoughts and feelings. Being emotionally intelligent will help you make clear decisions, think rationally, and deal with people better. Socially intelligent people sense how others feel, know what to say in social situations, and always seem self-assured. To overcome the disturbing and overwhelming consequences of this pandemic, we all need to unite with a positive spirit and an empathetic attitude.
7. Be Optimistic — Our positive attitude towards life will become our biggest strength when facing difficult times like these. If we will be optimistic about how we perceive things then a lot can be achieved.
8. Show compassion and kindness — Even during these unprecedented times, some people and societies are treating frontline workers, recovered COVID positive patients differently. Such treatment can mentally affect those with the disease, as well as their family, caretakers, friends, and communities. Despite labeling these people in any manner, show kindness and empathy. We should remember that we are all experiencing the same hardship which means we can understand and feel what others are going through.

Mental health is much more than just being stress-free, depression-free, or free from any psychological issue. It is about having the great enthusiasm and energy for living life out of moments.

Post-COVID World — Life after the outbreak!

The situations are evolving by each passing day with countries mounting their emergency responses and authorities issuing regulations and advisories con. Scientists and researchers across the world are constantly trying to find a cure for the COVID-19 virus. There’s an unending hope to get a hold on this ongoing threat and ultimately life would be better.

We need to be prepared, but not panic. There will be challenges surrounding us but once we gather the courage of surpassing them, everything will start falling into place. It’s high time that we now start focusing on our mental health and getting ourselves enrolled in activities that could keep us sane and mentally healthy.

If you ever feel the need of consulting a therapist then don’t hesitate, it’s not late to ask for help. If you recognize mental health problems in your near and dear ones be sensitive and supportive towards them. After all, we need to keep walking together and united to make this world a happier and healthier place in the future.