Anusha Rana

Fuzia's Writer


As the world came to a standstill last year due to COVID, we were more affected psychologically than physically. It was a period of chaos and uncertainty, and it is not over just yet. No matter how bad we had it, there’s always someone who had it worse than us.

While the scientists and researchers were scrambling to find an antidote or a vaccine for the virus, mental health issues quietly crept in to add to our hardship. Loss of life, income, history of mental and physical illness, isolation aggravated the situation. This had an adverse impact psychologically. 


Understanding The Psychological Impact of COVID-19

  

Here’s how the COVID-19 pandemic affected our mental health-


1. Conflicts at home: This might be the first time in years when your whole family is together. Quarantined in a house, that too only if you’re privileged; it was bound to spark some debates you have been brushing off under the carpet for some time now. It could be related to your roles at home, performance at school, lifestyle, past issues etc., and before you know, it turns into a big argument, causing stress and tension in the household. There are disagreements between couples, parents and children, and siblings. 


It paves the way for conflicts and pushes you apart. The family that used to dine together goes days without speaking to each other, and the frustration only grows as a result of the silence. It has a psychological effect on you, making you feel suffocated and desperate to get away as soon as possible. The cases of domestic violence also saw an increase during this period. This can be a major trigger of anxiety, depression, inferiority complex, panic attacks,etc.


2. Loss of job- Job insecurity: The lockdown disrupted and slowed down the economy of many countries. As a result, people were laid off and struggled to find a new job. This was the main cause of stress for so many in our country, the pressure of not being able to fend for their families had a severe psychological impact. According to a study, “Adults experiencing household job loss during the pandemic have consistently reported higher rates of symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder compared to adults not experiencing household job loss (53% vs. 32%, respectively).”


While others who were able to keep up their jobs suffered burnouts due to the long hours they had to put in. Work-from-home blurred the lines between work and home, increasing the cases of poor mental health. Women, especially, considered quitting their jobs or reducing working hours to care for the family. 


3. Loss of life: Millions lost their lives during the pandemic, leaving behind a void in the lives of their loved ones. People experienced the loss of parents, children, relatives, or friends, and it took a serious toll on their mental health. It was a period of mental distress that caused increased levels of anxiety and depression. It made it difficult for people to cope up with the loss and pushed them further down the spiral of the mental health crisis. 


4. Social Isolation: We humans are social animals, so the lockdown had a pretty huge influence on our minds. People stayed away from their families/loved ones for months altogether, and it caused mental health issues like anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality, and stress. Feeling cut off from the outside world and loneliness made us more vulnerable than ever. It also increased substance abuse and addiction, affecting physical health, especially amongst the youth. 



5. Disruption in Counselling: Our mental health is just as fragile as our physical health. People with a history of mental illness had a hard time coping up. Therapy/counseling sessions were disrupted due to COVID, which had a severe impact on their mental health. Although the sessions moved online, many people couldn’t adjust to it. It led to the deterioration of their condition. 


6. Inherent biases: COVID brought forth the dark side of humanity. The already religious divided India started a witch hunt for the Muslim community after they attended Markaz in February 2020. They termed it as “Corona Jihad” and put them under psychological trauma. It filled them with fear, forcing them to hide. Discrimination of caste and creed was elevated thus Dalits and several tribal communities faced numerous brutal traumas caused all over the nation. 


Meanwhile, the murder of George Floyd in the United States revealed how difficult was it for the black communities to get access to health care and basic necessities. One-fifth of the Latino community suffered from psychological distress at the time. These long-standing biases were brought to the surface yet again during the pandemic. 


Looking for some online resources for support during psychological stress? Get in touch with our mental health professionals at Fuzia wellness.


You can also read our mental health-related blogs on the website. To be a part of a judgment-free community, sign up on the Fuzia website. 


You can also read our mental health-related blogs on the website. To be a part of a judgment-free community, sign up on the Fuzia website. 


Looking for some online resources for support during psychological stress. Get in touch with our mental health professionals

 

https://www.fuziawellness.com/experts.php?cat_id=MjM=&ser_id=MQ==

 




Pandemic
Loneliness
Counselling
Fear
depressions
lonely
Therapy
Anxiety

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