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What is Mental Health?
Everyone has mental health. Some people have good mental health, others have bad mental health. Some people suffer with chronic mental health conditions whereas others suffer from episodes where their mental health fluctuates. There are various mental health conditions people live with, to name a few:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Psychosis
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder.
The above are just some of the conditions people may have been diagnosed with but there are many more, and with mental health finally having more attention, more conditions are being discovered. On a more positive note, more therapies and treatments are also being created too. However, there is still a huge stigma surrounding mental health which is why it is so important to continue raising awareness. This is a responsibility all of us have, whether this is as individuals, employers, employees, parents, teachers, or friends.
Mental Health and COVID-19
I’m sure by now we all know what COVID-19 is. Unfortunately, the majority of people have either suffered personally with this virus or know somebody who has. When thinking about COVID-19, the common symptoms of a continuous cough, a high temperature and loss of taste or smell come to mind, but these are just some of the physical effects. COVID-19 has also been a catalyst for mental health conditions worsening or developing.
Yes, mental health has been around long before COVID-19 but with national lockdowns having been implemented it has left many feeling isolated, unable to get support and others developing mental health conditions as a result of COVID.
The Impact:
As previously mentioned, COVID-19 may have impacted people’s mental health. Here are some examples:
- Anxiety – as a result of the negative media coverage surrounding COVID-19, people may feel more worried to leave the house and come into contact with people in case they catch the coronavirus. Symptoms of anxiety such as panic attacks may worsen due to the lack of support available. Also, the worry that they have COVID-19 may increase too as the symptoms of coronavirus are similar to those of anxiety, e.g. faster heartbeat, faster breathing rate.
- Depression – many people diagnosed with depression find routine helps, but COVID-19 has interrupted this which may make it more difficult for those suffering. COVID has left a lot of people uncertain about their future, increasing their daily stresses, this may have caused their depression to worsen or may have caused others to develop depression. It is easy to feel hopeless during these times too, as it is has had such a great impact on the whole world, it can leave people feeling insignificant. Socially distancing measures can leave people feeling isolated too.
- BPD – COVID has made it difficult to see those outside of your household, this can increase the feelings of abandonment some people who live with BPD experience. Also, paranoia may have increased but it may be more revolved on coronavirus. Urges to self-harm or suicidal feelings may increase or develop as the stresses COVID-19 has caused become overwhelming.
- Psychosis – The stresses and constant media coverage of coronavirus may cause someone who lives with psychosis to start having COVID related delusions or hallucinations. These can be hard to distinguish from reality. Also, if people in your household are not supportive or understanding this can increase stress levels too.
- Eating Disorders – COVID may cause an increase in anxiety or changes in routine which may make a person’s eating disorder worse, especially if food is used as a way of being in control. Additionally, due to coronavirus, worries about food shopping such as “safe” foods being available or contracting COVID may be present.
- OCD – Obsessions and compulsions may increase in severity as stress increases because of COVID-19. Or new obsessions or compulsions may develop about coronavirus. With the government releasing guidance on hand washing this may be a common compulsion to develop/worsen.
How to help:
It is still as important to seek professional help for any mental health concerns than it was before the pandemic began. There are multiple ways to do this such as booking an appointment with your GP or using dedicated call lines where people have had specific training to help in a mental health crisis, for example: Samaritans. It is also important to ensure you have a good support network around you which can be utilised via phone calls/ social media if face-to-face contact with these people is difficult at present due to COVID.
Keeping away from negative media coverage can help decrease levels of anxiety about coronavirus. If it is social media that is increasing anxiety there are settings on the majority of modern phones that allow you to limit the time spent on there.
Establishing a new routine relevant to the restrictions of COVID may help ease any mental health issues. Including a daily walk, mindfulness activities, relaxation techniques and a mood diary in this may be beneficial in keeping you feeling balanced.
If exercise previously helped you feel better but you feel anxious about going back to your gym, try doing a home body weight workout or investing in some at home equipment such as bands/ light weights may be a good alternative. Exercise has been proven to release “feel good” endorphins that decrease stress and increase mood.
How to help as an employer?
Many employers feel the stress of looking after their employee’s wellbeing, whether this being physical or mental. It is a legal requirement to have trained first aiders at work to look after the physical needs of your employees, but this does not provide training for their mental and emotional needs. As a solution, many companies opt to book their employees onto a Mental Health First Aid at Work course. They feel it benefits everyone if people are aware of the signs and symptoms of mental health and feel competent in being able to help.
COVID-19 may have restricted access to certain mental health resources therefore your employees may be unable to get help outside of work. If any positive can come from this awful virus, let it be that your employees feel supported for their mental health whilst at work by investing into a Mental Health at Work course to gain invaluable knowledge. Afterall, on average during their lifetime people spend 3,515 full days at work, making colleagues more likely to pick up on any behaviour changes and be able to intervene right at the start.
