 |
Written by Narik Dubash
As we approach the mid-point of 2020 and some three months since the UK government officially ordered a nationwide lockdown, I find myself reflecting on the rapid and sweeping changes we have all faced and the toll it is having on mental health.
On Monday 23rd March 2020 the country entered lockdown to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This was an extreme, though undoubtedly necessary, step towards reducing infection rates and minimising the potential fatalities posed by the virus. At the time, I jokingly revelled in the fact that I – a somewhat hermit-like introvert – had become a model citizen overnight. Seemingly, nobody was better equipped for an existence of self-imposed isolation than I was. However, as the weeks have gone by my optimism has diminished, as has my productivity and motivation, instead being replaced by feelings of despondency and even apathy. Am I alone in these feelings or are there others experiencing the same downward trajectory I am? Well, like any psychology undergraduate worth their salt, I turned to the literature to find out.
 |
| Me circa April 2020 |
After a quick search, I came across a recent cross-sectional survey study from China. They had collected data online from 7236 participants to assess the impact the COVID-19 outbreak was having on generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and depressive symptoms amongst the general public. The results weren’t necessarily surprising; the overall prevalence of GAD and depressive symptoms was 35.1% and 20.1%, respectively, with younger people (<35 years old) reporting significantly higher prevalence of GAD and depressive symptoms than older people. Moreover, being under 35 and spending too much time focusing on the COVID-19 (>3 hours) were associated with GAD, leading to a significantly higher risk of mental illness.
Now, before I go any further, we should acknowledge some of the limitations that prevent these findings being generalised to wider populations or even myself; Firstly, cross-sectional survey designs are always difficult to draw causal inferences from. Secondly, self-selected volunteer participants probably aren’t that representative of the general population, though given the nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, using a self-selected online survey is completely understandable. Lastly, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 meant that the participant’s psychological conditions prior to the outbreak could not be assessed, making it hard to determine how much the outbreak has actually affected any given participant.
All that aside, the results do appear consistent with many preliminary studies on the impact the pandemic is having on mental health. I mean, (I hope no one that has ever taught me psychology is reading this but…) the results just speak to common sense, right? If there’s one thing you hear in psychology all the time, it’s that “humans are fundamentally social animals.” So perhaps it’s not surprising that people experience an emergence of various maladaptive and depressive symptoms when required to eliminate the many social facets of their lives.
I can’t imagine that there’s anyone that hasn’t found social distancing challenging, yet we each understand the responsibility we have to ourselves and to others to prevent the spread of the disease. I can’t pretend that I haven’t found this taxing; I can barely motivate myself to get dressed each day, let alone try and find a job, prepare for my final year of studies, or write a blog about how I’m too apathetic to do anything productive (no, the irony is not lost on me). Yet, what research we have shows that I am not alone in these feelings. And while various pandemics throughout history have been devastating to humanity, it is during these challenging times that we inevitably muster our resilience and bounce back.
Ultimately, I don’t feel particularly anxious or depressed about the virus itself, but rather the uncertainty that comes with it. I don’t know how my remaining time in university will unfold, nor how/when I will find a job afterwards. That does make me feel anxious, even ambivalent about my future. And yet, much as I look back at the most challenging times in my own life as the times that have taught me the most and defined me as a person, perhaps the adversity we face today will make future successes feel that little bit more earned.
Now, before I go any further, we should acknowledge some of the limitations that prevent these findings being generalised to wider populations or even myself; Firstly, cross-sectional survey designs are always difficult to draw causal inferences from. Secondly, self-selected volunteer participants probably aren’t that representative of the general population, though given the nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, using a self-selected online survey is completely understandable. Lastly, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 meant that the participant’s psychological conditions prior to the outbreak could not be assessed, making it hard to determine how much the outbreak has actually affected any given participant.
All that aside, the results do appear consistent with many preliminary studies on the impact the pandemic is having on mental health. I mean, (I hope no one that has ever taught me psychology is reading this but…) the results just speak to common sense, right? If there’s one thing you hear in psychology all the time, it’s that “humans are fundamentally social animals.” So perhaps it’s not surprising that people experience an emergence of various maladaptive and depressive symptoms when required to eliminate the many social facets of their lives.
I can’t imagine that there’s anyone that hasn’t found social distancing challenging, yet we each understand the responsibility we have to ourselves and to others to prevent the spread of the disease. I can’t pretend that I haven’t found this taxing; I can barely motivate myself to get dressed each day, let alone try and find a job, prepare for my final year of studies, or write a blog about how I’m too apathetic to do anything productive (no, the irony is not lost on me). Yet, what research we have shows that I am not alone in these feelings. And while various pandemics throughout history have been devastating to humanity, it is during these challenging times that we inevitably muster our resilience and bounce back.
Ultimately, I don’t feel particularly anxious or depressed about the virus itself, but rather the uncertainty that comes with it. I don’t know how my remaining time in university will unfold, nor how/when I will find a job afterwards. That does make me feel anxious, even ambivalent about my future. And yet, much as I look back at the most challenging times in my own life as the times that have taught me the most and defined me as a person, perhaps the adversity we face today will make future successes feel that little bit more earned.
Huang, Y.
& Zhao, N. (2020) Generalised anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and
sleep quality during COVID-19 outbreak in China: a web-based cross-sectional
survey. Psychiatry Research, 112954.