COVID-19 IN ITS WAKE HAS SET OFF MULTIPLE PROBLEMS FOR ALMOST EVERYONE. IT HAS ALSO BROUGHT TO FORE THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES LIKE NEVER BEFORE
When you stand in front of me and look at me, what do you know of the griefs that are in me and what do I know of yours?”
This dictum articulates how we cannot see depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses physically but that does not mean they do not exist at all. As the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic to save lives, lockdowns and quarantines have become ubiquitous, and so is the feeling of loneliness for many people.
While unlock 2.0 has paved way for several relaxations, many people continue to experience feelings of anxiety and depression due to a prolonged state of physical isolation from friends, family and community networks.
It was in the month of March when the nationwide lockdown was announced forcing everyone to stay at home away from work or their educational institutions. With no end currently in sight for the pandemic and its collateral damage, the mental health illness has become a poignant concern for the health experts.
Only recently, the suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput had brought to the fore, the issue of depression which is often written off as nothing more than feeling a little low.
According to the health experts, people of all ages are experiencing depression, adjustment disorders, cyberchondria (escalation of anxiety after online search for medical information). Due to COVID-19 triggered restrictions, those patients with pre-existing mental health illnesses are having a difficult time while many others have reported increased feelings of anxiety and depression during the pandemic.
Even as the virtual world is helping people to stay in touch with family and friends, people are not only missing the physicality of meeting others but also struggling psychologically due to the fear of getting infected, losing their job, financial burden, running out of food and necessities, for not being able to find work among other reasons.
Dr Savita Malhotra, Consultant, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Hospital, Mohali said that for many people, lockdown restrictions due to the pandemic has proved to be mentally detrimental. "We received patients having relapses of their pre-existing mental health condition. At the same time, many others experienced heightened emotions of anxiety and depression", she says.
Dr Malhotra, who retired as Dean PGIMER and Professor Head, Department of Psychiatry, said in the initial months of lockdown, people could not even visit the psychiatrists and were dependent on teletherapy services.
"I received calls from people of all age groups who reported mental health issues during the pandemic. Be it elderly or adults living alone who were stuck at home and those living with small children with an increased domestic responsibility.” she added.
Though feeling sad at times is a normal part of life but symptoms like persistent sadness and emotions of hopelessness and lack of interest in day to day activities like work, study, eat and sleep should not be ignored and brushed aside as just a “phase”. Also, the signs of depression do not look the same in everyone and the intensity and impact varies from person to person.
The golden rule, Dr Malhotra says is not getting bogged down by an information overload and getting help from an expert. Recognizing the difference between a diagnosis of depression and emotion of sadness is important. Whether it is Coronavirus related anxiety or other mental health issues, people need counseling and treatment to cope with their feelings, she adds.
Aditi Gupta (name changed), 31, a homemaker tells she knew the stress of the pandemic was taking a toll on her as she no longer wanted to do the things she usually liked doing in her daily routine. “The reality felt very gloomy so I was sleeping a lot and had lost interest in eating, exercising, interacting with family members, watching TV and in other activities. I was getting headaches, feeling of restlessness and was displaying aggressive behavior,” she says.
“I realized that something is wrong and decided to take professional help. Some changes in lifestyle, treatment, support of people around me is helping to counter the feeling of anxiety and depression,” she adds while sharing she was going through family problems that had aggravated during the lockdown period.
A working woman, Smriti Sachdev (name changed), 26, who was infected with COVID-19 and has now fully recovered shares, “Living in isolation for more than 15 days was not easy and took a toll on my mental health.
I had feelings of depression, anxiety, helplessness and frustration. When you are alone in an uncertain situation, it causes all sorts of weird thoughts including suicidal thoughts. Regular counseling by doctors helped me during the treatment.”
“Even though I have fully recovered, there is a constant fear in my mind of getting infected again and being put in an isolation ward. The changed behavior of the society due to social stigma around COVID-19 has also triggered rapid shifts in my moods with feelings of anger, anxiety, irritability, and depression. That feeling of anxiety is still there and I am trying to cope with it,” she tells. Many other patients have similar stories to recount.
As the number of COVID-19 cases is surging everyday in the country, the health experts have warned that the virus is not only affecting the physical health but the infected patients remain at a high risk of facing long-term mental problems. In the times of uncertainty and desolation, the telephonic consultation helpline is also witnessing spurt in distress calls.
As OPDs were closed to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) had in May started telephonic consultation services to provide assistance to the patients seeking outpatient medical care.
After the beginning of telephonic consultation, 342 calls were received in 10 days at the Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER while more than 1300 calls were received in the month of June. On July 1, 73 calls were received at the Department of Psychiatry for tele-consultation.
Dr Subodh BN, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER informs, “Recently, we have been receiving on an average 60 calls every day.
The callers include old patients as well as new cases dealing with psychological problems. Most of the people have reported anxiety and depression during the pandemic. During the teleconsultation, we prescribed medicines also to the patients dealing with depression.” “As per the calls received, almost all age groups whether its middle age or elderly reported increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic-induced lockdown period,” he further says. As we are growing accustomed to this new normal in a pandemic characterized by extreme uncertainty, people living with a mental health condition like depression remain vulnerable.
According to an online survey conducted in the month of April by PGIMER doctors and others under the aegis of the Indian Psychiatry Society, more than two-fifth of the respondents were found to be experiencing common mental disorders, due to lockdown and the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey aimed at evaluating the psychological impact of lockdown due to pandemic on the general public, had received a total of 1871 responses.
About two-fifth (38.2 percent) respondents had reported anxiety and 10.5 percent of the participants had depression. Overall, 40.5 percent of the participants had either anxiety or depression. Moderate level of stress was reported by about three-fourth (74.1 percent) of the participants and 71.7 percent had reported poor well-being, the survey stated.
The survey had concluded that there is a need for expanding mental health services to everyone in the society during this pandemic situation. Elaborating about signs of depression, Dr Subodh says, “People often confuse stress with depression. Stress and depression are two different things. Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.”
“The common signs of depression are frequent mood swings, stress, persistent feeling of frustration, hopelessness, and change in behavior or habits, persistent fatigue and if someone around you have such symptoms, it should be taken seriously,” he emphasizes.
Awareness is of paramount importance, Dr Savita Malhotra says adding that in many people, an untreated depression leads to suicidal thoughts or attempts and also, increases the risk of other physical illnesses.The experts say that the pandemic has certainly induced a considerable degree of fear and concern in the population at large and gave rise to a significant number of psychological consequences.They also feel that we need to acknowledge that a person dealing with a mental condition is worthy of treatment, empathy and compassion. This goes a long way in improving mental health problems in people, the experts conclude.