The Coronavirus Outbreak is Overwhelming to People ’ s Mental Health

With the novel coronavirus outbreak of 2020 raging across the world with little end in sight, people’s mental health is starting to become seriously impacted. There’s no easy way to say this — people are struggling right now. Stay-at-home orders, while invaluable and helping from a public health perspective, are taking their toll on people’s emotional state. And if you were already vulnerable due to a mental illness diagnosis or concern you were grappling with, the outbreak of COVID-19 has only made things worse. The problem is that most public health experts are spending time talking about the physical components of the coronavirus — the symptoms, testing, how contagious it is, possible treatments, and vaccines. Very few doctors and policy makers are talking about the equally important toll the virus is taking on people’s mental health. For many people, this toll has overwhelmed their ability to cope and get through the day intact. Crisis Helpline & Chat Services Overwhelmed You don’t have to look far to see how overwhelming it’s become. And it’s only going to get worse. According to ABC News, “Last month the ‘Disaster Distress Helpline’ at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) saw an 891% increase in call volume compared with March 2019, according to a spokesman for the agency, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.” Another valuable ser...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic General Health-related Mental Health and Wellness Policy and Advocacy Coping Skills coronavirus COVID-19 Depression Source Type: blogs