As society begins to reopen from the
coronavirus pandemic, mental health experts warn the mental health effects of
the pandemic and shutdown may far outlive the virus.
An April 24 report published by the
Kaiser Family Foundation found 56% of American adults have experienced at least
one negative impact on their mental health as a result of the pandemic, “such
as problems with sleeping or eating, increased alcohol use or worsening chronic
conditions.”
For those who have experienced income
loss, that percentage goes up to 65%, and is 64% for frontline health care
workers and their families.
The CDC also warns long-lasting
effects of any disease outbreak can include excessive fear, changes in sleep
and dietary habits, increased substance abuse and worsening of mental and
chronic health conditions.
Shawna Perryman, community education
manager at St. Mary’s Resilience Behavioral Health, said quarantine and
isolation during the pandemic “has impacted so many people in different ways.”
“Some people have lost their jobs,
others have kept their jobs but are fearful of getting the virus, or are
fearful of being asymptomatic and giving it to someone else,” Perryman said.
Perryman said those fears and
anxieties have been made worse because everyone’s routine, and the sense of
stability that comes with it, “has been shaken and turned upside down.”
Tasha Billingslea, Resilience program
director, said the mental health effects of the pandemic may not be seen for
quite some time.
“This is an unprecedented event that
will affect people’s mental health in ways that haven’t happened in a long
time,” Billingslea said. “I think there’s a lot of uncertainty for people, a
lot of fears of what the future looks like, because it is an unprecedented
event.
“There isn’t the ability to look down
the road and see what’s going to happen,” she said. “The outcome is uncertain
how this will affect their lives, financially and in regard to their health.”
Billingslea said that sense of
uncertainty, persisting for weeks or months at a time, can affect anxiety
levels and overall mental health.
“I don’t even think we fully
understand the impact yet that it is going to take on people,” Billingslea
said.
You don’t have to have a prior mental
health condition in order for the pandemic to cause mental health symptoms,
such as anxiety or depression, Billingslea said.
“Depending on the person or the
situation, there could be potential trauma related to COVID,” she said, “and
when there’s trauma sometimes you see after-effects of trauma such as
depression, PTSD and anxiety.”
And, she said, for those who’ve
already been suffering with mental health issues, “trauma or even isolation is
going to exacerbate that condition, most likely.”
When the pandemic first hit,
Billingslea said Resilience and many other inpatient mental health treatment
centers actually saw a decrease in admissions.
“Initially we did see a decrease in
our patient census, due to people just not coming to the hospitals due to their
fears,” Billingslea said.
But, as shelter in place restrictions
have eased, she said Resilience has seen “a great increase in our behavioral
health unit” of admissions with “fairly high acuity.”
“I think it’s because people have
been without that help, or they had a perceived sense they could not receive
help,” Billingslea said. “We are seeing a surge, and it is across the state.”
About OrionNet Systems
OrionNet is an Oklahoma small
business founded in 2001. OrionNet has designed, developed and supported
applications created both for the client-server and web environments, as well
as developing, marketing and supporting a commercial application for the
counseling centers industry.
Visit the OrionNet Systems’
website, www.iorion.com, or their social media pages, https://twitter.com/ThinkHealth & https://www.facebook.com/pages/OrionNet-Systems/139352156150090 for more information.
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