INTRODUCTION:

It is claimed that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health. India currently stands 2nd in the global index for the most number of infections after USA. The myriad psychological impacts of COVID-19 on mental health have not received adequate attention.

Effects of COVID-19 on Mental Health:

It is well known that pandemics pose a threat to mental health. The major mental health issues reported were stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, denial, anger and fear. Children, older people, frontline workers and people with existing mental health illnesses were among the vulnerable in this context.

COVID-19 related suicides have also been increasingly common. State-specific intervention strategy, telepsychiatry consultations, toll free number (08046110007) specific for psychological and behavioral issues have been issued by the Government of India.

Impact of lock-down on mental health:

· Anxiety

· Loneliness

· Difficulty in concentrating, low motivation and a state of distraction

· Stress threshold

· Negative emotional spirals

· Desperation

· Panic and fear

· Financial strain

· Apprehension about Future

The psychological impact of quarantine:

Stressors:

· Longer quarantine duration

· Infection fears

· Frustration

· Boredom

· Inadequate supplies

· Inadequate information

· Financial loss

· Stigma

Behavioural response to Wearing Mask, Hand Hygiene and Social Distancing:

Preventive behaviour is evolving over time; the use of face mask has overtaken hand washing as the most utilized preventive measure. Other measures, like social distancing, avoiding close contact, avoiding big groups and staying at home have declined.

Psychological Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccine hesitancy:

Associated attributes or factors driving hesitancy/refusal ranging from the personal and relational to the community and cultural. The influence of media on the decision making process from literacy to social media.

Psychological Buffering Effect of COVID 19:

A buffering effect is a process in which a psychosocial resource reduces the impact of life stress on psychological well-being. Many factors could buffer the effects of COVID-19 related fear on mental health; support system is probably the predominant one. Psychological distance mediated the relationships of regional pandemic severity with perceived general health and life satisfaction.

Understanding the buffering effect of social media:

Social media can play a crucial, positive role by providing a platform for people to share their opinions and to relay facts about the crisis, but it also provides an outlet for voicing fear about the pandemic. In the wake of these measures, internet and social media use has reached unprecedented peaks. In the context of COVID-19, however, another psychological paradigm has emerged. The fear of contamination and more acutely of death has been introduced as the hypothesis of corona virus anxiety. Buffering mechanisms are the result of a positive perception towards the stressors which is promoted by resilience.

Secrets to overcome the psychological impact of COVID 19:

Anxiety

· Planning the daily routines helps in adapting quickly and managing anxiety.

· Identify an activity/hobby that brings you joy and perform it.

Loneliness:

· Spend time with loved ones.

· Be in touch with friends, family and colleagues over social media or the phone.

· Pen down your thoughts and emotions regularly

Difficulty in concentrating, low motivation and a state of distraction:

· Meditation improves concentration.

· Pick a physical activity of your choice like Yoga or even simple stretches.

Stress threshold:

· Exercise regularly, eat healthy food and sleep thoroughly.

Negative emotional spirals:

· Do not Google symptoms of any disease, trust doctors.

· Avoid frequently checking the latest COVID statistics.

Desperation:

· People with habits like smoking and alcohol consuming, are desperate to have cigarettes or alcohol. Take this positively as a challenge to change habits by engaging yourself in meditation or Yoga.

Panic and fear:

· Be frank about experiencing panic and fear.

· Consult the doctor or the person you trust to share your feelings and something uplifting.

Financial strain:

· Consult a financial advisor over the phone and common platform to discuss new government policies.

· Also, it is good practice to read about various investment and earning options.

Apprehension about Future:

· Avoid speculation and focus on facts.

· Being hopeful is the key.

Gaining deeper insight on Mental Health Sequelae among Survivors of COVID-19:

A recent survey by the Indian Psychiatric Society indicated a twenty percent increase in mental illnesses in the country since the corona virus outbreak. Mental Health Sequelae includes anxiety, depression and PTSD among survivors of COVID 19.

Psychosocial Support and Resilience Strategies:

Psychosocial Support:

· Psychosocial interventions refer to strategies that target excessive, uncontrollable stress, concern and persistent excessive arousal.

· The activation of contingency plans which comprises of stress relief kit with brochures on psychoeducation, stress management and information on psychological support.

· Psychological assistance services, including telephone, internet and application based counseling or intervention, have been widely deployed by local and national mental health institutions in a response to the COVID-19 outbreak as the availability of transparent appropriate and timely information is vital for the emotional restraint of family members and for keeping the general population calm.

Resilience Strategies:

· The focus on finding trustworthy and compassionate individuals who validate the feelings, which will support the skill, capacity to recover from difficult life events.

· Some individuals are more psychologically resilient to adversity than others, an issue of great importance during the emerging mental health issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

· Average resilience was lower than published norms, but was greater among those who tended to get outside more often, exercise more, perceive more social support from family, friends and significant others, sleep better and pray more often. Psychological resilience in the face of the pandemic is related to modifiable factors.¹

Molecular psychiatry associated with COVID 19:

Infection-triggered perturbation of the immune system could induce psychopathology and psychiatric sequelae were observed after previous coronavirus outbreaks. The spreading of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could be associated with psychiatric implications. Coronaviruses could induce psychopathological sequelae through direct viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) or indirectly via an immune response.²

Empirical Evidence:

COVID-19 is a globally spread disease, which attacks almost all countries. Studies reported that patients who experience or cured with COVID-19 often have psychological disorder (PD). Thus, it is very important to manage such condition. Several studies reported that advanced nursing care (ANC) can help patients with this disorder. However, no systematic review assessed its effects³.

REFERENCES:

1. William D.S. Killgore, Emily C. Taylor, Sara A. Cloonan, Natalie S. Dailey. Psychological resilience during the COVID-19 lockdown. Psychiatry Res. 2020 Sep; 291: 113216.

2. Wu Y. Wu, X. Xu, Z. Chen, et al, 2020. Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Brain Behav. Immun.

3. Fan, Wen-juan MB; Liu, Xiao-ling MB. Effect of advanced nursing care on psychological disorder in patients with COVID-19. A protocol of systematic review. Medicine: July 02, 2020 - Volume 99 - Issue 27 - p e21026.

Received on 07.01.2022 Modified on 16.02.2022

Int. J. of Advances in Nur. Management. 2022; 10(2):145-147.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2652.2022.00037