How to counter mental health issues during lockdown

During this COVID-19 outbreak, it is important to maintain mental health while staying at home. Dr Shilpa Sadanand, PhD, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health, in this article suggests ways to follow a healthy and balanced routine to counter mental health issues.

Hyderabad: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is having an impact on everyone’s life globally and in India. During this unprecedented time it is very common for individuals to worry and feel stressed.

COVID-19 lockdown is a difficult time for everyone, but it is far more challenging for children, elderly, those in quarantine, and the poor and vulnerable sections of the population such as daily wage workers and workers in the unorganized sector. Healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic in the forefront also experience higher levels of stress and anxiety.

A recent study from China found that healthcare workers experience significant psychological distress (>70%) and burden taking care of patients with COVID-19. Each one of us react to situations differently, some react negatively right away but many might show signs of difficulty later on.

Depression, anxiety, panic, fear about the future, hopelessness, helplessness, worsening of pre-existing health conditions, social withdrawal and the inability to eat and sleep are some of the signs of poor mental health.

For the most vulnerable, uncertainty and the absence of adequate social protection systems, can exacerbate their stress, anxiety and negative reactions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), certain population groups are at higher risk of mental health problems due to greater exposure and vulnerability to unfavourable social, economic and environmental circumstances.

Read:Caring for elderly people during COVID-19 pandemic

Thus, specific programmes targeting vulnerable population are essential for mental health promotion and protection. Strengthening social protection measures for the poor and vulnerable families, continued employment and income by employers across sectors should be the top priority.

This protective measure can make a huge difference in the lives of people, providing them a sense of safety and security, thereby preventing adverse mental health outcomes.

Employers need to be more empathetic to employees, it could be the domestic help or worker in a small factory, or the construction worker, supporting them during the lockdown period is absolutely essential. Flexible work arrangements for colleagues and staff working from home with dependent children and elderly is necessary.

Public health campaigns which focus on maintaining physical distance should also emphasize the importance of being socially connected with help of technology. The message that ‘help is available’ and there is ‘nothing wrong to seek mental health support’ during crisis situations should reach the common people.

In addition to the efforts by the government, as a citizen, it is our responsibility to stay home and be kind and supportive to one another during this difficult time. The onus is on us not to victimize people in quarantine and those affected with COVID-19, not refer them as ‘cases’ or ‘victims’. Be compassionate to healthcare providers and families living nearby, not discriminate them due to fear of infection.

We can take simple steps mentioned below to support ourselves and others during the lockdown.

Stay Connected:Stay home and be connected with family and friends via mobile and video calls. Talk to people whom you trust about how you are feeling and enquire how they are doing.

Stay away from stressors: Constantly listening to COVID-19 news can be upsetting, take breaks from news and social media and limit the screen time. Focus on recoveries from COVID-19 rather than number of fatalities.

Stick to routines: Keep your daily routine as much as you can. Eat and sleep on time. Engage in activities you enjoy. Those working from home, try to find yourself a dedicated workspace that you can associate with your job and leave the space once done for the day, set a work schedule and stick to it.

Stay healthy:Exercise daily at home, take out time to do breathing exercises or meditate. Eat healthy, avoid alcohol and tobacco.

Social service (from a distance):Be of service to people, small act of kindness and assistance during need can benefit the person receiving support as well as the one helping. You could join housing volunteer groups to help the aged staying alone.

Set goals: Set small personal goals for the lockdown period and try to achieve them.

Show gratitude:Start or end your end day with gratitude, taking a moment to remember all the things you are grateful for in life. Have gratitude to all the healthcare workers and families on the frontline battling COVID-19.