The Coronavirus and Its Effects on Mental Health

The coronavirus has turned the world upside down. The contagious pathogen has wreaked havoc upon our 21st century, modern, and technologically advanced society.  Public facilities have shut down, and countries and states alike have essentially closed their borders, limiting international and domestic travel. As a Collegiate community, we understand the importance of online schooling at this particular time and why we must social distance. However, the fact remains that house isolation is still a difficult concept to accept. Being away from the friends that we cherish so much, and having to let go of spring sports events that we look forward to year round, sometimes seems like a permanent solution to a “temporary” problem. The circumstances of our new reality have produced stress and a feeling of loss amongst all, but, as teenagers, the lack of human contact can be particularly hard-hitting. Students are used to having to balance academics, as well as sports and a social life, but all of these daily occurrences involve surrounding oneself with people. The immense amount of “alone time,” as it were, where one has the opportunity to ruminate and explore thoughts, can increase stress levels, concerns, and separation anxiety.

    

The American Psychological Association reports that social isolations can incur numerous health risks, including poor sleep, poor cardiovascular health, lower immunity, depressive symptoms, and impaired executive function. A 2019 review in The Lancet reported that during quarantine, people often experience fear, sadness, numbness, insomnia, confusion, and a plethora of other symptoms. We must acknowledge, as a community, that everyone is feeling to a certain extent. 

    

Several factors go into how one copes with these symptoms, such as one’s previous mental health condition, one’s personality, and how one deals with stress. Researchers suggest many ways one can mitigate the effects of quarantine, these being: establish a routine, be as active as possible (do at-home workouts to stay in shape for sports and pass the time!), make lists on what you’d like to accomplish in a day, communicate how you feel, stay informed but do not overwhelm yourself with information. Finally, remember why you are quarantining yourself: to keep others safe.

 

Although it may be difficult to accept now that we could possibly be quarantined for the next few months, it is important to understand that everyone is going through a similar ordeal; everyone is in the same boat. We must work together to combat the coronavirus, and if we all do our part, hopefully things will return to our normal sooner rather than later.

 

 

Refrences

 Amy Novotney. Social isolation: it could kill you. Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association. 2019;50(5):32.