Coronavirus Disease – 2019 known as Covid – 19 has created a long impact on our lifestyle, economy, health, and almost every sector. For now, the main focus is on recovering physically, get vaccinated, and be healthy. However, while “get together” is a big No now, people are suffering from loneliness and anxiety. These are leading to self-harm, addiction, depression, and many more mental health issues.
The WHO has also expressed its concern over the pandemic’s mental health and psycho-social consequences (World Health Organization, 2020d).
Effect of Domestic Violence on Mental Health:
According to Abramson, 2020, Abramson, A. (2020) in How COVID-19 may increase domestic violence and child abuse mentioned that “The lockdowns around the world have led to an increase in cases of domestic violence where women and children who live with domestic violence have no escape from their abusers during quarantine”.
Domestic Violence has become one of the major reasons for anxiety and strength. Abuse doesn’t have to be physical always. In fact, mental abuse is harmful and creates a long-term impact. Many of us remember our mental pain for a long time where physical wound recovers faster most of the time.
Mass Quarantine Experience:
We never thought that every one of us will experience quarantine and we all have to stay at home for a very long time. We are facing a massive financial crisis and our heart wants to go back to normal times. Those who have the opportunity to work from home – have to overcome work stress and often many of them complain that there is no place to breathe and release stress.
During quarantine, there are some exercises that will help us to some extent, which will be discussed in our upcoming blogs.
Self-Guilt to be Affected:
Giuffrida & Tondo found in their research, infected people, while also the target of discrimination, also experience self‐blame or guilt. Unfortunately, this feeling culminated in the suicide death of a health worker recently who feared she had contaminated seriously ill people she cared for while infected by COVID‐19.
Many countries have already started helplines where anyone who needs any mental health-related support can get them. The suicide rate, depression, frustration, anxiety, and many other problems have increased during this time.
According to many reports, the suicidal rates in many developed countries have not increased during this period. This has happened because people were already made aware of the impact these lockdowns can have and, also because of the support these citizens have had from their respective governments. During the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic from March 29 to April 25, 2020, young women aged 18-25 years were around 21 percent less likely to visit the emergency department (ED) for suspected suicide attempts compared to the same time interval in 2019.
But, Asian or developing countries, where covid has hit hard, have seen an overall surge in mental health issues and suicidal rates. In 2020, approximately 21.1 thousand people committed suicide in Japan, the country with the greatest number of suicide cases in the globe. While the overall number of suicides declined steadily in recent years, 2020 marked the first time within the past decade that suicide numbers were rising again. The sudden upwards trend is likely to be connected to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
We have to understand one thing, mental health is as important as physical health. This is not a fling, that will go by. Proper treatment is necessary to avoid unwanted events.
We will discuss further on mental health issues by profession in our upcoming features.
Author: Sharmin Rahman
Editor: Anik
Photo: cottonbro
Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7262128/
https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/domestic-violence-child-abuse
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/4/e045727
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/4/e045727
https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/covid-19-support
https://www.statista.com/statistics/622065/japan-suicide-number/
