We Need To Address the Mental Toll of Social Distancing
Staying indoors and avoiding interactions
is crucial to flattening the curve and fighting the spread of the novel
coronavirus itself, but it can have a dire impact on mental health. The
issue of the long term effects of social distance on mental health is
receiving more and more attention as quarantine drags on, and rightfully
so. The stillness, financial pressure, and uncertainty about what the
future will bring is taking a toll on many.
New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo addressed
the issue in one of his recent daily briefings saying, “Don’t
underestimate the personal trauma and don’t underestimate the pain of
isolation. It is real. This is not the human condition — not to be
comforted, not to be close, to be afraid and you can’t hug someone… This
is all unnatural and disorienting”.
Perhaps that is the most jarring aspect of the pandemic. The
impossibility to congregate and support each other the way we would want
to. This has led to unique coping mechanisms, and mental health experts
are doing their best to speculate what is yet to come and how to act in
this unprecedented situation.
The Effect of Isolation on Overall Health
Experts already know that years of
loneliness or feelings of isolation can lead to anxiety, depression, and
dementia in adults. A weakened immune system response, higher rates of
obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a shorter life span can
also result.
Although research that is specific to the current outbreak is limited,
researchers evaluated and observed studies looking at people who were
quarantined, an extreme form of social distancing, during the outbreaks
of SARS, H1N1, and Ebola in the early 2000s. For example, one study
compared quarantined versus non-quarantined individuals during an equine
influenza outbreak. 938 out of 2,760 quarantined people (34%), reported
high levels of psychological distress, which can indicate mental health
problems, such as anxiety and depression, during the outbreak compared
with 12% of non-quarantined individuals.
Another study examined 549 hospital workers in Beijing during the 2003
SARS outbreak. Those who were quarantined or worked in a high-risk
environment reported higher levels of alcohol abuse three years later
than those who had less intensive exposure to the outbreak. Certain
factors that were found to increase the risk of developing psychological
problems, such as the quarantine lasting longer than 10 days, poor
information about the efficiency and rationale of the quarantine, and
lack of necessary supplies.
Though the great majority of people currently living through lockdown
are not quarantined, less extreme forms of social distancing hold
similar risks. Being aware of the factors mentioned above and mitigating
them as much as possible is a way to lower the likelihood of possible
mental health problems.
Are We 'Getting Used' to Social Distancing?
An important aspect experts are noting is how all-encompassing the
Covid-19 pandemic is. The universal nature to the source of worry is
comforting, “ Even though almost all of the news is bad, there’s
something about all of us being in this at the same moment in time which
I think is keeping people from falling apart” said Jonathan Kanter, a
psychologist at the University of Washington’s Center for the Science of
Social Connection.
Kanter worked alongside a grad student named Adam Kuczynski on a survey
monitoring the daily stress levels of a group of participants. The
survey began on March 14 (the day that marked the beginning of the
lockdown in Washington state), and Kanter and Kuczynski are planning to
continue it for 75 days at least. The overall results so far are fairly
positive. There are occasional spikes in anxiety levels, but over time,
people reported thinking about the virus less and less and coping
through exercise and daily routines.
Despite this positive trend, Kanter stresses that a significant minority
steadily reports feeling debilitating anxiety and increased sadness.
People who have already been suffering from any kind of psychiatric
condition, or struggling with addiction might have heightened anxiety
response. Thankfully, friends and family can still help loved ones at
greater risk for mental health complications from afar.
How to Recognize Someone who Needs Help
The technological age we live in offers a
lot of comfort and somewhat eases the burden of being distant. A phone
call or video chat might not be the same as hugging someone, but they do
go a long way. If you are concerned about the mental well-being of
someone you care for, experts say there are two main metrics - function
and safety.
To determine if someone is functioning in times of crisis, what needs to
be considered is: Do they get out of bed? Do they have structure in
the day? Do they shower and get dressed? If they have work, can they
handle it? These are the functional questions.
When it comes to safety, there’s a reason to worry if someone is
engaging in activities that directly endanger them, like thinking about
harming themselves, engaging in self-harm, drinking, or using drugs. If a
person is unsafe, they might need immediate intervention.
Most mental health professionals have adapted to the social distancing
norms, and offer teletherapy and telepsychiatry.
The most important lesson of all this is how essential our social
networks are. Checking in on our loved ones and letting them know we are
still there with them is extremely important. We can’t predict all of
the long term outcomes of this pandemic yet, but feeling as connected as
possible can make a significant difference in shaping the future.