Coronavirus: The psychological consequences affect everyone, including the healthy

JThe longer the crisis following the Covid 19 pandemic lasts, the greater the attention to its psychological consequences. Social isolation, an uncertain future, economic worries, and fears for one’s health and that of family and friends can affect the mental health of people around the world. The long-term psychological effects are still unclear, but initial studies already suggest that the risk of depression, anxiety disorders, stress disorders and addictive behavior is increasing.

Furthermore, it’s not just the social and economic effects that Covid-19 could impact mental health: in the course of an infection, the virus itself can attack the brain and cause neuropsychiatric symptoms. According to a British study in The Lancet, these symptoms include anxiety, depressive moods, forgetfulness and confusion, and insomnia. Occasionally, psychosis, delirium, dementia-like disorders, and others were reported in the study.

The number of investigations into the psychological consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is growing rapidly. “There are now over a thousand publications on this topic,” notes Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, director of the Mannheim Central Institute for Mental Health, at the opening of “Mental Health Week”. We are currently working very dynamically and a lot with preprints, ie preliminary results without scientific evaluation.

These preprints also include recently published work by the University of Oxford, according to which large numbers of Covid 19 patients discharged from clinics still had symptoms such as anxiety and depression two to three months after being infected with the virus.

The risk of psychological consequences is particularly high for patients who have been to clinics: “If they are infected, they are in a potentially life-threatening situation. They come to the intensive care unit, they have to be treated invasively, ventilated – this has an impact on the psyche, “describes Meyer-Lindenberg, who is also a board member of the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (DGPPN ).

Several studies from China have shown that virtually all of these patients had symptoms of a stress disorder. However, the mental health of those who are not infected can also suffer the consequences of the fears and contact restrictions associated with the pandemic, as numerous studies suggest.

For example, a study by the Boston University School of Public Health found that 27.8 percent of American adults had depressive symptoms in mid-April, compared with 8.5 percent before the pandemic. According to the study authors, there have been similar increases in their respective populations following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the outbreak of the Ebola outbreak and mass protests in Hong Kong.

In a survey in June this year, a whopping 40 percent of nearly 5,500 American adults reported having at least one symptom of a mental disorder. These included depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and substance abuse. These rates were three to four times higher than the previous year.

A Finnish study found that 25% of 4,000 respondents had had more nightmares since the start of the crisis. After all, 15% of the 3,000 American Americans surveyed reported worse dreams according to another study.

Particularly difficult block for teenagers

Dietrich Munz, President of the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists (BPtK), points out a study by the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim, according to which the crown block was very stressful for teenagers and young adults. “This is plausible because young people need even more social contact with their peer groups,” he explains.

Andreas Heinz, Director of the Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Charité Berlin, refers to other particularly vulnerable groups: these include people who already suffer from a mental illness, but also the elderly, singles and people who have almost no social networks. In this context, homeless people are particularly affected, who in any case show a greater risk of isolation. Furthermore, there are people whose economic situation is fragile.

In fact, the aforementioned study from Boston University School of Public Health also found that people with fewer financial resources in the United States showed a higher risk of depression during the pandemic. “In Germany, however, the economic situation of many people is different,” said Heinz, president of the DGPPN. In general, a wave of solidarity could be observed in this country, especially at the beginning of the pandemic: “This has contributed to the fact that so far we have passed relatively well”.

This accords with the result of a June Socio-Economic Group (SOEP) report that people in this country had at least coped with the first month of lockdown better than expected. However, the longer the situation lasts, the more severe the possible mental illnesses, Heinz said.

Break the isolation and talk to friends

Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg noted that previous studies on quarantine and isolation situations in the context of infectious diseases such as MERS or swine flu had shown an increase in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction, as well as some stigmatization of sufferers. . It remains to be seen whether people infected with Covid-19 would also be stigmatized in this way.

However, factors could already be named that have strengthened people’s psychological resilience in dealing with the pandemic, but also in quarantine and lockdown situations. Information management is important: “We recommend that you choose an official and credible source, get information from this source and only spend a limited amount of time per day.”

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It is also important to break the isolation by communicating with friends and family. Plus, there’s general stress management with routines, regular sleep, and reminders of the things you are in control of, “what you cook, what you wear,” Meyer-Lindenberg says.

The psychotherapist Munz also advises people who work in the home office to create a fixed daily structure for themselves in the current situation. Also, one should remain physically active and not withdraw too much. Those who tend to worry about their fears should look for distractions. The BPtK has recently made available further prevention recommendations in the document “Corona Pandemic and Mental Illnesses”.

It says something like, “Distract yourself. Anything that makes you forget the corona pandemic and your worries is a major break in the psyche.” And: “Drink a lot, but not necessarily alcohol.”

“Most importantly, however, you should also admit that you are being oppressed and seek help if needed,” Munz says. He speculates that the psychological consequences of the pandemic will be differentiated: “Some will emerge from psychological stress with resilience, with some this stress will remain and with still others there will be consequential damage.”

In this context, the psychotherapist mainly mentions children and adults who have been victims of domestic violence. These should be particularly taken into account when planning future measures in the wake of the pandemic, as well as people in general who are more burdened than others by the psychological and social consequences of protective arrangements.

When such a burden requires professional help, Doctor Heinz describes: It is a very common reaction initially to be sad or depressed in the face of the pandemic and the limitations associated with contact. However, you should see a doctor if you see little or no way to be happy in the long run and if you have a lack of motivation and helplessness.

“If you can no longer get out of the circle of thoughts, for example only think about a possible virus infection, and are therefore increasingly limited, you should seek help,” Munz says. However, it is not always possible to clearly draw the line between general concerns and an actual disease.