Individuals have used this era of isolation to clear their headspace and unwind, but for some, it has taken a toll on their mental health

From dining in social settings to being active on social media, Susan Kemp lived a regular lifestyle until late of April 2020. Since then, she has only left her apartment five times and believes that she has been experiencing huge increases in anxiety and gaining obsessive and compulsive behaviors, from a study conducted by BBC News. Why is this happening? Psychologists are now correlating potential mental health concerns to the coronavirus. 

Entering the global pandemic of the coronavirus, better known as COVID-19, millions of people are concerned with contracting it. With the pandemic on the rise, Mental Health concerns have accumulated a number of problems along with it.

Psychologists are taking into consideration the effects of previous global pandemics and its effect on mental health to predict the outcome of ours. A prime example would be the severe acute respiratory syndrome, known as SARS, a global outbreak that began in 2003. This outbreak led to “an increasingly strong rise in suicides within adults, older than the age of 65, by a whopping 30%.”

Scientists are also led to believe that preventive strategies, such as quarantining individuals, have a strong negative association with negative psychological impact over a length of time. Common mental illnesses exhibited by individuals within quarantine life include “post traumatic stress syndrome, insomnia, and stress.” Long term illnesses are also topping the polls, with OCD taking the number one spot.

To cope with mental health, taking better care of our own bodies is beneficial. Eating nutritious food while exercising and sleeping well will create a healthy lifestyle that will stimulate our brains. Setting realistic goals to follow and learning how to deal with stress may potentially help lessen the feelings contributed with having mental illnesses. Finding balance and people who support each other plays a key role in pulling oneself out of a negative headspace and into a more positive one.

Aside from those tidbits, focusing more on how to see the early signs of individuals exhibiting symptoms of developing mental health issues may be helpful. For more information regarding ways to cope with mental health during COVID-19, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html