Category: Public Health

Covid-19 Lockdown: Psychologist reveals impact on mental health & how to cope

The Covid-19 Lockdown

On 23 March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a lockdown in the UK to combat against the Coronavirus pandemic that the world is now undergoing; furthermore, Dominic Raab, UK Foreign Secretary, announced on 16 April 2020 that the lockdown has been extended for another three weeks after being reevaluated. 

“We still don’t have the infection rate down as far as we need to.

The worst thing that we can do right now is to ease up too soon, allow a second peak of the virus to hit NHS and hit the British people.”

Dominic Raab , UK Foreign Secretary

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said, the lockdown will not be eased unless five conditions have been met:

  1. Making sure the NHS could cope.
  2. A “sustained and consistent” fall in the daily death rate.
  3. Reliable data showing the rate of infection was decreasing to “manageable levels.”
  4. Ensuring the supply of tests and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) could meet future demand.
  5. Being confident any adjustments would not risk a second peak.

While taking these very necessary measures in order to save more lives and protect the NHS, this has nonetheless put those who have apreexisting mental health condition at risk. Furthermore, many psychologists have taken the necessary actions that are needed in order to assist their clients as they struggle with their psychological issues.

How is the Covid-19 lockdown effecting people’s mental health?

Psychologist Charlotte Armitage, along with many other psychologists, has made herself available to her clients during the Covid-19 lockdown. Likewise, Armitage spoke with me about how the lockdown has impacted people’s mental health conditions.

Thus, Psychologist Armitage explained the ways in which she is assisting her clients during this pandemic.

“So, I’m using Zoom and the telephone to communicate with people. Some people it’s just not appropriate to communicate with at this time, because of their home environment as well. So it’s not necessarily an easy place for them to communicate, but other people, yeah they still want to talk. And they still need that regular consistent support and advice.”

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

Armitage also said, the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has not only affected those who have preexisting mental health conditions, but it has also affected those who don’t.

“You know I think everybody is experiencing this on some level at some point throughout this virus pandemic. I don’t think it’s just people with preexisting mental health conditions that will be struggling at the moment.”

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

Psychologist Armitage said, the most common problem she is noticing is that people are finding it hard to adjust to the instability of this pandemic. Armitage said, “everybody feels unstable and that’s because the environment’s unstable.” Additionally, this instability has became a trigger for people who already have a mental health condition or those who have an underlying one.

“It’s a trigger, the instability is a trigger, and for people who need stability to remain psychologically well, this level of instability could be very unsettling for them and that kind of stuff can trigger off a mental health problem, so yeah I think it’s safe to say I’ve noticed it with everybody around me that people are struggling.”

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

Armitage said, even people who may have suffered from an addiction previously are being affected as those addictions are starting to resurface while undergoing lockdown.o.

“It’s possible that that addiction could come back, because they are finding that this is a stressful environment.”

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

Video featured below: You can hear more from Psychologist Charlotte Armitage about the psychological impacts of Covid-19 for people’s mental health.

Part 1 – Psychologist Charlotte Armitage explains mental health impact of Covid-19 lockdown

How to cope with Covid-19 lockdown?

As many people are feeling very unstable and anxious during this pandemic, they are trying to find ways to cope and function while in isolation.

Psychologist Charlotte Armitage spoke with me about the ways in which she recommends to people on how they can get through this pandemic, while also taking care of their mental health.

During our conversation, Psychologist Armitage gave so many different examples that can be very useful to those who are struggling with anxiety and depression, during the Covid-19 lockdown. For example, doing just the simple things, such as deep breathing and being present in the moment, are just a few of the many recommendations she suggested.

Specifically, Armitage spoke with me about three techniques that she has recommended to her clients during this time Covid-19 lockdown that can be helpful: framing techniques, grounding techniques, and creating your own stress relief kit.

1. Framing techniques

via GIPHY 

According to the Decision Lab, “the Framing effect is the principle that our choices are influenced by the way they are framed through different wordings, settings, and situations.” Therefore, by changing the ways in which we think or the words that we use, it could potentially be a positive change for those who are struggling.

Psychologist Armitage said, “You can look at framing by the way you view things, which is called cognitive restructuring.” Furthermore, she has noticed people using the framing technique on social media.

“I keep seeing posts that say, You are not stuck at home, you are safe at home.”

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

2. Grounding technique

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According to Living Well, “Grounding exercises are things you can do to bring yourself into contact with the present moment – the here and now. They can be quick strategies (like taking three deep “belly breaths”) or longer, more formal exercises (like meditation). Different strategies work for different people, and there is no “wrong” way to ground yourself. The main aim is to keep your mind and body connected and working together.”

Psychologist Armitage explained how to utilise the grounding technique for those who are struggling with their mental health while they are Covid-19 lockdown.

“You can do things called 5,4,3,2,1 – which is you name 5 things in the room that you can see, 4 things that you can touch, 3 things that you can hear, 2 things that you smell, and 1 thing you can taste. And that helps the senses of that down and brings you back to the space.”

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

3. Create your own stress relief kit

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According to the Mindful Living Network, “a stress relief kit is simple to make and can be a Mindful way to promote Mindful Health. It contains prepared tools and supplies that’ll stop stress in its tracks before it escalates. Having the right references and tools can help. An emergency stress relief kit is easy to put together and doesn’t cost much.”

Furthermore, Psychologist Armitage explained how to create a stress relief kit. A stress relief kit can be beneficial for a person and their psychological well-being in order to help them through the Covid-19 lockdown.

“It could have something that you like the smell of in there and you can have music in there or a sound – something you like the sound of, something you like the feel of that might feel nice in your hands, or even a nice picture. So it’s basically putting all of your defences into this bag. And whenever you find yourself really struggling you can go to it and you can pull out a picture and look at that. Or you can pull out things that smells nice or you can get the things that feels nice, like a blanket or whatever it is and you can, you know, just hold that, because that could be quite grounding for you.” 

Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist

Video featured below: You can hear more from Psychologist Charlotte Armitage and her recommendations of coping with a mental health condition while in isolation of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Part 2: Psychologist gives tips on how to handle mental health during Covid-19 lockdown

As many anxiously await for the lockdown to be lifted and for the Coronavirus pandemic to be over, Psychologist say taking care of your own mental health during this time is crucial – help is still available and so are the resources.

Psychologist Charlotte Armitage said, if you are really struggling with your mental health and you need to speak to someone you can contact Mind at  0300 123 3393 or you can go to the Mind Website to find information on how to understand your anxiety, how to cope with your anxiety, how to distract yourself with soothing activities, and stories of other’s who struggle with their mental health as well.

COVID-19 EXCLUSIVE: American High School Senior Speaks Out

The Covid-19 pandemic causes disappointment for High School Seniors

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused quite a bit of a disturbance and it has effected many, especially those High School Seniors who were looking forward to so much: finishing their final year of High School with their friends, attending their High School Prom, participating in their final year of High School sports, and then graduating from their High School that they have worked so hard for, while also celebrating with their friends and family on such a joyous occasion.

However, the Coronavirus pandemic has changed all of that for High School Seniors. Hannah Shay, American High School senior, spoke with me about how everything has changed for her due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Shay said, everything that she was looking forward to has been either cancelled or postponed – school has been cancelled, all of her High School Sports have been cancelled, her High School Prom has been cancelled, her High School banquet has been cancelled, her High School Graduation has been postponed, and even her High School Senior Trip has been cancelled. 

Video featured below: American High School Senior Hannah Shay explains how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected her last year in High School. 

Shay is a very active student at her High School – she is an honours student, member of the National Beta Honours Society, an athlete who plays basketball and soccer, and is dual enrolled at Governors School of Virginia where she takes college courses; in which, she will graduate with an Associates Degree in General Studies by the end of this school year. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and her boyfriend.

Hannah Shay with her friends

High School Senior, Hannah Shay, said she is disappointed that her senior year is not going as planned; however, she understands the severity of the Coronavirus pandemic and she says that she is doing her part by staying at home as Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia has issued an Executive Stay at Home Order.

Shay has not left her house for three weeks now. She said, “I do agree that we need to be at home. It’s the only way really that we can stop this until something better comes along with it.” However, Shay said there are still many people, especially people her own age, who are not taking the Stay at Home Order seriously.

“That’s probably the hardest is seeing these people who are out and about and I’m struggling right now, because I’m missing my friends and my boyfriend… so it’s hard for me to see them out and about when I’m stuck at home, but I know what I’m doing is right, it’s just hard to see that with them.” 

Hannah Shay, Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen Senior student

Finding her "quarantine" routine

Upon the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting Hannah Shay’s school and life in general, she has managed to find her own way to cope with staying at home on a daily basis. Shay said, she found an instagram post that inspired her – the quarantine routine. Moreover, she decided to create her own “quarantine routine” and that has helped her the most now that she is staying at home on a daily basis.

“I actually saw an instagram post that was like my quarantine routine and I made my own and I decided to try to follow it and I kind of have been and then I kind of strayed from it. It’s just hard to stick to that. Right now my parents are working around the house and I’m helping them, so my routine isn’t really there, but I’m still getting up and doing the baseline of it and doing everything that’s on the list.” 

Hannah Shay, Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen Senior student

Teachers share messages of hope and gratitude to their students

Teachers understand how hard of a time it is right now for their students, especially those High School Seniors who are having to miss out on so much right now. Which is why Hannah Shay’s Assistant Principal Erin Lenhart Davis and teachers from Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen have collaborated by putting together a video that shows their appreciation for their students, how much each teacher misses their students, and that there is hope ahead after Covid-19.

Erin Lenhart Davis, Assistant Principal at Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen, offers a personal message to her High School Seniors:

“Senior year should be a joyous time where we all come together to celebrate one of life’s major milestones. Even though this year is not what any of us hoped it would be, I trust that this pandemic has taught us all many important lessons that will surely define the future of the class of 2020. I feel certain that once this pandemic ends we will all be more appreciative of the simple joys in life such as time spent with family and friends. I believe that kindness is spreading across the United States just as fast as this virus and I trust that our Statesmen will continue to find ways to spread hope and love to others during what has been a very troubling time. We may not be together right now, but our Statesmen family is as strong and united as ever.”

-Erin Lenhart Davis, Assistant Principal at Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen

The COVID-19 isolation makes an impact on people’s mental health

“Depression” by Emmalois is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 

As many countries undergo lockdown, because of the Coronavirus pandemic, there are many who fear isolation, specifically those who suffer from a mental health condition.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health condition. And as there are a number of people dying from the Coronavirus, many have already started to take their own lives, because of the fear of either contracting the Coronavirus, the fear of having the Coronavirus, or the fear of living in isolation.

So far in the UK, a young person from Birmingham (UK) has taken her own life, because she feared being in isolation. In Germany, a minister has taken his own life with the fear of contracting the Coronavirus. There have even been a few nurses across the UK that have taken their own lives, because they feared they had contracted the Coronavirus disease.

To further understand how other people are coping with isolation, while also trying to keep their mental health in check, I spoke with a couple of people who shared with me their struggles and how they are adapting to the Coronavirus way of life.

Single mother of three and owner of Hall Housekeeping, Sabrina Hall, spoke with me about the challenges she is now dealing with as she cares for her children, while also trying to take special care of one of her children who has a has a serious medical condition.

“Corbin, my son, actually had a really bad seizure last week. I had to completely communicate with the doctors over the phone through Zoom. And that was different. We had to schedule it and they had to ya know – I took my phone, let the doctors look at him. I had to take his vitals. Ya know all these things – I’m not a nurse or doctor. And I’m having to do all this to make sure my son is okay without having to take him to the hospital. ”

Sabrina Hall, owner of Hall Housekeeping

Hall also struggles to stay afloat, because her income has been affected due to the Coronavirus pandemic as she has lost quite a bit of house cleaning clients. Hall also said, trying to care for her children, while also keeping them calm during this time is very important; however, she has also found certain outlets that help her to also take care of her own well-being.

                Interview with Sabrina Hall on Mental Health during the Coronavirus

“I will get in the car and I will turn the radio on or YouTube on my phone and bluetooth it. And I listen to music, you know, sometimes I’ll take a drive and just drive and listen to music and praise God that he’s going to get us through this and that helps a lot.”

Sabrina Hall, owner of Hall Housekeeping

Freelance Journalist, Laura Sanders, spoke with me about her anxiety and how she does not like being out of control of a situation. Sanders told me about how she has been affected since she began reporting on Coronavirus eight hours a day. Furthermore, she was also told that she needed to work from home, because of how dangerous this disease can be.

“It was a bit of a novelty to be told to work from home. Ya know, you don’t have to get up and get dressed to go somewhere. And then it went to the stage, this is really miserable, cause I’m not seeing my colleagues and working mobily and always reporting on the Coronavirus. So yeah, it drags you down, it does.“

Laura Sanders, Freelance Journalist

Recently, Sanders was actually going to start reducing her antidepressants dosage; however, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, her and her doctor had decided that that would not be the best thing for her to do. Furthermore, Sanders offered some advice to those who suffer from anxiety during this Coronavirus pandemic.

            Interview with Laura Sanders on Mental Health during the Coronavirus

“It sounds very cliche, but exercise is really important. So even if you just get a YouTube video up and doing some yoga at home, that can really help. If you got a dog, that’s a perfect excuse to go out for a walk. A lot of people are cycling at the moment as well – just get on your bike and go somewhere. And switching off on social media is a big thing.”

Laura Sanders, Freelance Journalist

Help is still available

Because of this Coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued UK a lockdown for three weeks and may be subject to change. If you or someone you know are experiencing panic and anxiety as we await the unknown and though it seems like most people have stopped working, there are still many resources and help that is available. For example, you can either call a helpline, join in on an online group chat, or message someone for a one-to-one online chat.

If you or someone you know are experiencing panic and anxiety during this Coronavirus pandemic and need to speak with someone, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the free services that I have listed below.

Contact your local Samaritan

No matter the age, race, or gender – if you are experiencing panic and anxiety and need to talk to someone, you can contact someone through Samaritans at 116 123 or write them an email at jo@samaitans.org – the response time is within 24 hours. 

Are you Under 25?

If you are under 25, experiencing panic and anxiety, and need to talk to someone you can contact the MIX. The Mix offers many different resources – from discussion boards, group chats, and one-to-one chats. They, as well, provide many different articles, for example, “how to deal with corona- anxiety.”

Are you a man under 45?

If you are are male and are under 45 you can contact CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably. In the UK, suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 and the cause of 18 deaths everyday, which is why CALM will continue to keep their helpline and web chat services open during the Coronavirus pandemic. You can reach CALM at 0800 58 58 58 or their webchat services from 5pm – midnight everyday.

The COVID-19 isolation makes an impact on people’s health and the planet’s conservation

“Copenhagen climate conference little mermaid” by erik de haan rotterdam is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0  

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) isolation, it seems that the environment is reaping the benefits due to the reduction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that we would normally release into the air throughout our day-to-day routine of going to work, bringing the kids to school, or going shopping. Thus, this has reduced the rate of global warming, for the time being, and has given the Earth a break and time to breathe- the skies are more blue and wild animals have come out of their nesting.

According to the Environment Protection Agency, “Nitrogen dioxide is yellow-brown gas emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities. It can cause respiratory problems like coughing, asthma, and difficulty breathing,” Therefore, nitrogen dioxide causes air pollution.

The World Health Organisation, also known as WHO, said air pollution is linked to many other health related problems, such as “heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections in children.”

CNN reported, “pollution levels in China, where the Coronavirus outbreak started, has dramatically reduced. NASA’s pollution monitoring satellites detected a significant decrease in nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In addition to this, analysis by Carbon Brief revealed the coronavirus has temporarily reduced China’s CO2 emissions by a quarter.”

NASA Earth Observatory Satellite comparison of China’s carbon dioxide reducing

With regards to the European continents, the European Space Agency (ESA) reported “a reduction in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions. The ESA say this reduction is particularly visible in northern Italy, which coincides with its nationwide lockdown. “

European Space Agency- Satellite comparison of Italy’s carbon dioxide reducing

Tony McNally, Managing Director of Climate Change Solutions, addresses the pandemic Coronavirus with the fact that if we don’t take climate emergency seriously, we could also be inviting other new insects that could come with new diseases that we are not equipped to handle, because we do not yet have a cure for these new possible diseases, which is a lot like the pandemic disease we are now currently dealing with – the Coronavirus.

Tony McNally, Managing Director of Climate Change Solutions, interview

“The impact of global warming is the projection that were going to find more and more alien diseases coming our way and therefore, it’s not just the current Coronavirus that got to consider, it’s the fact that there are now more evidence of insects that we are not familiar with which we haven’t got immune systems to their bites that are going our way and so there is a relationship between Climate Change and health and well-being of our people.”

Tony McNally, Managing Director of Climate Change Solutions

In conclusion, not only has self-isolation helped save lives, but is has also helped to reduce the pollutants, which could potentially prevent new diseases from coming into our lives.