By: Ben Marble/Junior Writer and Bruce Sumba/Sophomore Writer
The pandemic’s impact is felt world-wide, closing national borders, shutting down businesses (some for good) and disrupting school schedules. Even as vaccine availability continues to improve, the fallout continues. In fact, many are having a difficult time with the pandemic’s psychological effects.
Depression rates have skyrocketed since the first lockdown. Following the depression came suicide. Clearly the pandemic added intense emotional and mental stress to the lives of people. The global spread of Coronavirus and its devastating impact is affecting all of us right now. No matter where you are, the contagious respiratory disease is raising health concerns as people try to prevent getting sick and take care of those who already are. The CDC describes it all as a “rapidly evolving situation,” but the situation goes beyond physical health. We’re starting to realize that there are many implications of this virus that relate to our mental health, too. It’s all connected. So taking care of your mental health during this pandemic is crucial. Knowing its potential impact on you is part of that.
4 main ways COVID-19 and being in Lockdown effects your mental health:
- Mob Mentality and Panic Buying
- Feelings of emotional isolation
- Over consumption of news and media
- Social Isolation
Percentage of increased Anxiety/Depression among people during Covid-19
Major increase in depression and anxiety from January and June 2019, to January 2021
This video shows Larry Miller diving into a study on how COVID-19 affects your mental health. This study shows one in five people who had COVID-19 were later on diagnosed with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
