PROBLEM-BASED PROJECT FORM

Topic/Title Covid 19 and mental health.

Group Details:

Name of the Group Members ID No.

Nafis Fuad 20104066

Shafaet Hossain 18201074

Sabekun Nahar Tultul 20101159

Tahmeed Ahmed Jim 19321008

Hypothesis/Assumption:(Assumption about two causes and two effects related to the issue)

Causes of mental problems during the pandemic:

1. Lack of social interaction.

2. Fear.

Two effects:

1. Reduces morality.
2. Negative effect on society.
Research Methodologies: (Which data collection method will you follow and what type of
articles do you plan to read? Explain the process.)

We are going to do a comprehensive study on articles that have focused on stress and
anxiety prevalence among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. We
chose to conduct secondary research, which requires gathering information from books,
websites, journals and other sources. Due to the pandemic and the accessibility of the
internet we decided doing secondary research based on data obtained from internet
articles from credible and relevant sources would be a better option for us. For this study,
we chose to look for materials that focused on a person's emotional and physical state
during this hard time, as well as different strategies that could help us to understand and
stay safe in this critical situation. For the research, scholarly articles will be used. In
addition, we will go through works by well-known authors and renowned newspapers. To
begin the investigation, we will gather background information on the present condition
of the pandemic and mental health issues caused by COVID-19 from internet journal
publications and newspapers. We'll go over the papers we identified during our
investigation and make logical connections. Furthermore, we'll also gather cases and
information, as well as evidence and other materials, in order to track down news
coverage regarding victims of Covid 19 and their mental health problems, as well as their
impact in that specific case.
Work Plan/Action Plan: (tentative; activities must be carried out equally by the members)

Name of Person
Date Activity
Responsible

9.9.21 Hypothesis Nafis Fuad

Sabekun Nahar
10.9.21 Research Methodologies
Tultul

Sabekun Nahar
10.9.21 Case Study Tultul

(i) comparison of findings with hypothesis,

(ii) individual and unique solution/s to the
Sabekun Nahar
problem, [Sabekun Nahar Tultul]
Tultul
10.9.21 and
Nafis Fuad
(iii) personal observation while working on the
problem.

11.9.21 Background Tahmed Ahmed Jim

Expert
12.9.21 Shafaet Hossain
 Data Log of Research Articles

BACKGROUND (explain how the problem arose/how severe it is, and how people are generally
suffering due to this problem - include facts, statistics, etc.) Must include visual information here
in the form of a chart, line graph, pie chart, bar/column graph, flow chart, etc. and report on
it.

Javed, Sarwer, Mashwani (2020) stated in their article that a pandemic is not just a
medical phenomenon but it affects the society by causing anxiety, stress, stima and
xenophobia in its people. Due to the lockdown, isolation, social distancing and closure of
educational institutions to ease the transmission of pandemic, it has affected the social and
mental health of individuals. A review published by the Lancet has also been cited in their
article where it states that deterioration of mental health has been caused when one has to
separate from loved ones, loss of freedom, boredom and the fear of death. It was included
in their article that mostly childrens and teens, elders and people with disabilities, health
workers are affected mentally by the covid 19. Children have shown unusual behaviors
like excessive crying, annoying behaviors, difficulty with concentration and eating habits
which shows the mental effects due to this pandemic. Elderly people are more prone to
covid 19 outbreak due to weak immune system and are expected to be mentally affected
more. Due to the pandemic, the flow of the health system is altered. As a result disabled
people living in nursing homes have not received extra help as usual. Therefore anxiety,
stress and depression has affected elders mostly. Health care workers like doctors, nurses
and paramedics and frontline workers are mostly affected mentally due to the threat that
covid brings on the human race. They have to live under constant fear of disease,
unavailability of medication, and death of their colleagues by covid has put more fear,
anxiety and depression on them. Addiotionally, people have to experience stigmatization
after completing quarantine and different welcome from family and friends.
Reference: Aved B., Sarwer A., Soto EB., Mashwani Z-R (2020). The coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic's impact on mental health. Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2020;35:993–
996. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3008

Mental Health conditions Anxiety and Depression increased rapidly

during lockdown

According to the figure above, almost 8.5 million people aged 14 and up (40.5%) reported
suffering from a mental health issue during the nationwide lockdown in the June quarter of 2020,
up from 7.7 million (37.7%) in the March quarter of 2020 — a nearly 800,000 rise.
Anxiety was the most common Mental Health problem encountered by 5.5 million persons (26.%)
during the lockdown phase, up considerably from the 4.4 million (20.9%) who reported suffering
from anxiety in the pre-COVID-19 period during the March quarter.

Surprisingly, the second most frequent Mental Health problem, Stress, increased marginally
throughout the lockdown period, from 5.3 million (25.0%) in the pre-COVID-19 period to 5.4
million (25.5%).
There was a significant increase in people suffering from depression during the lockdown period,
with over 3.8 million people (18.2 per cent) reporting it, up roughly 500,000 from 3.3 million
(15.9%) earlier in the year.
Thus, based on the graph, we can conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic is a major health issue
that has affected millions of people around the world. The epidemic has short- and long-term
consequences for mental health and substance use, particularly for individuals at risk of
developing or increasing mental illnesses, as well as those who face barriers to treatment. The
goal of this research is to determine the effects of the pandemic on mental health and quality of
life in the general population, and the graph above logically demonstrates how the epidemic has
badly impacted our mental health.
 EXPERT (explain three major causes, three major effects and two possible solutions from
experts, specialists, authorities, etc. regarding the problem - each point must be well-elaborated
with citations/facts/statistics/etc.)
Cause 1 :

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe, it is causing widespread anxiety, worry,
and concern among the general public. To prevent the viral spread, society has been put on
lockdown, while the global economy has suffered a massive setback. Individual countries'
actions have resulted in an economic downturn. Moreover, Nobody knows how long the
pandemic will last at this stage, and no one can predict how terrible it will be. According to the
most recent Global Financial Stability Report, the financial system has already been severely
impacted, and further development of the crisis could threaten global financial stability. Risk
asset values have dropped sharply since the breakout of COVID-19. Signs of stress have also
shown in major short-term funding markets, including the global market for U.S. dollars.
According to a July 2020 KFF Health Tracking Poll, many persons are reporting particular
negative effects on their mental health and well-being, such as trouble sleeping (36%) or eating
(32%), increases in alcohol use or substance usage (12%), and worsening chronic diseases (12%),
as a result of their concern and stress over the coronavirus. As the pandemic progresses,
continuing and required public health actions expose a growing number of people to scenarios
associated with poor mental health outcomes, such as isolation and job loss.

Cause 2:
Furthermore, COVID-19 seems to have a major impact on daily living. At the start of the
pandemic, average daily steps drop from 10,000 to 4,600, sleep increases by 25 to 30 minutes,
socialization time drops by more than half to less than 30 minutes, and screen time more than
doubles to over 5 hours. From March to July 2020, the proportion of participants at risk for
clinical depression ranges from 46% to 61%, representing a 90% rise in depression rates
compared to the same group just before the pandemic. According to our research, a lack of
physical exercise is a significant risk factor for depression during the pandemic. However,
restoring those patterns through a short-term intervention had no noticeable impact on mental
health. To date, the main psychological impact on public mental health has been increased rates of
stress or worry.

Effect:

Loneliness, sadness, destructive drinking and drug use, and self-harm or suicide behaviour are all
likely to escalate as additional measures and effects are implemented, particularly quarantine and
its implications on many people's customary activities, routines, or livelihoods.
From June to August 2020, the survey was conducted in 130 countries throughout WHO's six
regions. It assesses how COVID-19 has affected the delivery of mental, neurological, and drug
use services, the sorts of services that have been disrupted, and how nations are changing to face
these difficulties. Over 60 % of countries reported widespread interruptions to mental health
services for vulnerable persons, including children and adolescents (72 %), older adults (70 %),
and women requiring prenatal or postnatal treatment (61 % ). Counselling and psychotherapy
were disrupted in 67 % of cases, important harm reduction treatments were disrupted in 65 % of
cases, and opioid agonist maintenance treatment for opioid addiction was disrupted in 45 % of
cases. Emergency interventions, such as those for patients having extended seizures, severe
substance use withdrawal syndromes, and delirium, which is typically a sign of a dangerous
underlying medical condition, were found to be disrupted by more than a third (35 %). Access to
drugs for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders was reported to be disrupted by 30%
of respondents. Around three-quarters said mental health services at school and at work have been
disrupted in some way (78 % and 75 % respectively).
 Solution :

The consequences of COVID-19 for mental health have been dire, as highlighted in a May 2020
United Nations policy brief urging the international community to protect vulnerable populations.
Among those identified as a specific population of concern were adolescents and young adults,
who have faced large disruptions to their education and living situations and may suffer lifelong
economic impacts from the pandemic. Our findings provide evidence of these disruptions and
highlight the heavy toll of the pandemic on the well-being of college students. During a crisis such
as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is common for everyone to experience increased levels of distress
and anxiety, particularly as a result of social isolation. Physicians and other frontline health care
professionals are particularly vulnerable to negative mental health effects as they strive to balance
the duty of caring for patients with concerns about their own well-being and that of their family
and friends.

Aved B., Sarwer A., Soto EB., Mashwani Z-R (2020). The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic's
impact on mental health. Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2020;35:993–996.
https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3008

Pfefferbaum B., M.D, J. C. (2020, April). Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic: The New
England Journal of Medicine.

Osea G., Hyde K., Saccardo S (2021, March). Lifestyle and mental health disruptions during
COVID-19. PNAS. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2016632118

CASE STUDY (present a real-life incident or case from the perspective of the victim/target
group) The information below should include causes, effects and possible solutions from the
victim’s perspective.
Case 1:

A mother named Laiju Akhter from Dhamrai, Dhaka, attempted suicide by setting herself
and her two children on fire with kerosene oil, on April 14. Sohail, her husband, used to
work in a garment factory. Due to a coronavirus, the garments were closed. As a result of
the closure of the garment factory where he worked, he was laid off. He is married and
has two children. Besides Kalam, Sohail's father, who runs a tea shop along with his wife
in the neighbourhood. To prevent corona infection, all shops in the shops were closed.
There was no source of earnings. The family's condition has become critical, as both the
father and the son have lost their jobs as a result of this. There was no way to save money.
They received no help from the government as well. Laiju’s father-in-law also asked her
to leave the house with her husband and children. As the family's financial situation
worsened. As a result of this value-arrogance, quarrels occur, which leads to depression
and stress among the family. At one point during all these difficulties, Sohail's wife, Laiju
Akhter, attempted suicide by pouring kerosene on her body and lighting fire on her
children. Everyone was stunned and terrified by this heinous crime.

Case 2:

In the first case, we see a story of a brilliant student in India, a 15-year-old girl in grade-
X who was once rewarded by her school for her “academic brilliance” committed suicide
due to covid-19 and its negative impact on mental health. The incident occurred in Kerala,
India, on June 2nd. She was unable to attend online classes or watch television lessons
due to a non-functioning tv set in the family home and her lack of access to a smartphone.
Her father worked as a day labourer, but because of the lockdown, he had not earned any
money for two months, leaving the family in financial distress. According to sources in
the newspaper, the girl committed herself because she believed her academic performance
would suffer as a result of her missing class lectures owing to her inability to access
online classes. Her mental health has deteriorated as a result of her absence from online
classes for so long. As a result, she got depressed for a while and committed suicide. This
crime is a result of both the economic problems caused by the Covid 19 lockdown and the
girl's fragile mental health.

Case 3:

Altagracia Mejia, a woman from Los Angeles, was delighted when she found out she was
going to be a mother. Her heart was overflowing with joy. Her happiness, however, did
 not last long. During her pregnancy, she was isolated in her little one-bedroom apartment
due to the covid 19 shutdowns. Therefore, she began to experience emotions of anxiety
and worries about her capability of being a good mother for her kid. Then she gave birth
to her daughter Alexa in the midst of the pandemic. Meija's moments of stress and
frustration had darkened into thoughts of suicide by the time her daughter was roughly 2
months old. Moreover, Mike Sherburn, executive director of the Providence Mental
Health Clinical Institute, stated that during the pandemic, cases of postpartum depression
had increased by up to 25%. Furthermore, Meija stated that she used to wonder why this
unusual thing was occurring to her. She began to have thoughts of death at that time,
despite the fact that she was supposed to be the happiest. She becomes depressed and
distressed as a result of being confined to her little apartment because of the lockdown.
This throws a detrimental effect on her mental health. Later in life, Meija develops
postpartum depression, a severe form of clinical depression caused by pregnancy and
childbirth. Severe mood swings and deep depression were the common symptoms that
were seen, as are impulses that lead a woman to kill herself or her child. This post-
traumatic stress disorder emerges as a result of the epidemic, in which mothers are
isolated rather than going outside, inhaling fresh air, and being happy.

Researchers’ notes on: (i) comparison of findings with hypothesis, (ii) individual and unique
solution/s to the problem, and (iii) personal observation while working on the problem.
(i) Comparison of findings with the hypothesis,

In our Hypothesis, the first cause was lack of social interaction which completely matches
with the data and cases we found. As our data shows, people are facing difficulty in
sleeping, increasing alcohol consumption and chronic conditions. We know humans are
genetically social beings. When people do not interact with each other: we suffer from
loneliness which results in depression and anxiety which often leads to increased alcohol
consumption and difficulty sleeping. The next cause was fear. As covid 19 broke down
people feared both for their family and themselves. They also feared that they might not
find proper medical care when needed and also they may suffer from loneliness just like
Laiju Akter, a student from India and Altagracia Mejia

(ii) individual and unique solution/s to the problem:

The psychosocial effects of large-scale disasters and earlier outbreaks have been
documented, with an increased frequency of mental health illnesses among the results.
Similarly, COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the mental health of people. Given the
lengthy lockdowns, social isolation, and consequent work stressors in the context of the
weaker global economy, this impact is on the rise. There are, however, solutions to these
problems, and various studies have proved that proper care and also the utility of digital
health solutions and demonstrating regular care can resolve the situation. Furthermore, the
government should endeavour to develop the best solutions and put them in place as soon
as possible.

● Raising public awareness regarding mental health, particularly the symptoms and
consequences of problems, among both the general public and physical healthcare
workers.
● It is advised that those who require psychological assistance be screened early.
Screening is especially recommended for patients who have been discharged from
the hospital after a COVID-19 treatment. (Nobles, D.J., Martin, D.F., Dawson,
D.S., Moran, P.P., & Savovic, D.J., 2020) According to the COVID-19 research,
screening should also target people at increased risk of psychological discomforts,
such as females.
● Also, better treatment for pregnant women is necessary to prevent postpartum
depression, which is a dangerous condition. Mental health support groups should
be available in hospitals to assist these mothers. For example, from case study-03,
a lady from Los Angeles named Meija, mentioned above now attend Maternal
Mental Health Now sessions, to recover from her postpartum depression caused
due to this pandemic. “No woman should have to suffer from postpartum
depression alone,” she believes. (Rivera, 2021)
● During the pandemic, there is also digital assistance. Cloud-based big data
systems, AI-based chatbots, online health communities (OHCs), and telehealth
platforms are examples of these solutions. (Chew, A.MK., Ong, R., Lei, H.,
 Rajendram, M., V, K.G., Verma, S.K., Fung, D.S.S., Leong, J.J., & Gunasekeran,
D.V., 2020).These technologies have potential implications for preventive
medicine and mental health promotion in the present epidemic and beyond.
Nonetheless, these systems can aid in pandemic response and address the needs of
vulnerable groups, such as domestic abuse victims, during periodic lockdowns in
response to local outbreaks.
● Individuals should also receive assistance from the government. For instance, the
Government and devolved national governments should prepare a COVID-19
Mental Health Relief and Rehabilitation Plan to ensure a positive response to
mental health during the COVID-19 crisis and recovery period. The government
should also provide financial relief and good support systems to the poor in order
to help them overcome their financial difficulties. In addition, the government
should organize an expert force to examine the lessons and consequences learned
from the COVID-19 problem and offer long-term recommendations to reduce the
issue.
● Furthermore, the students as they are a vital part of a nation, the government and
society should take steps to promote their mental health. Based on findings from
research into the impact of academic disruptions on students caused by covid 19,
which causes depression and stress among students gradually. As a result, a timely
call to action for more research into COVID-19's impact on student mental health
is needed. Priorities should include adaptations of habitual coping techniques,
approaches adopted by academic institutions to reduce negative academic and
psychological results, institutions being support systems by providing proper
counselling. As well, the Ministry of Education should collaborate with schools,
local governments, and education and mental health organizations to provide
advice for teachers and schools so that they may better understand trauma-
informed approaches and support children and young people starting school.
There are many more solutions to the problems, and we must evaluate and analyze them
all to find the strongest and most effective ones in order to help people and save lives.

(iii) Personal observation:

My personal observation is, Because of Covid19 we are living in a really hard time which
is narrowing our social boundaries as well as impacting negatively on our health. But I
feel, if we increase positivity and show goodwill to each other in this hard time we can
pass this hard time and overcome the bad situation.
References
1. Bhuiyan, A.K.M.I., Sakib, N., Pakpour, A.H., Griffiths, M,D., Mamun, M.A.,
(2020, May 15). COVID-19-Related Suicides in Bangladesh Due to Lockdown
and Economic Factors: Case Study Evidence from Media Reports. International
Journal of Mental Health Addiction.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341230569_COVID-19-
related_suicides_in_Bangladesh_due_to_lockdown_and_economic_factors_Case_
study_evidence

2. Lathabhavan, R., Griffiths, M., (2020). First case of student suicide in India due
to the COVID-19 education crisis: A brief report and preventive measures. Asian
Journal of Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102202

3. Rivera, S.,( 2021, July 02). Postpartum depression on the rise, especially for
women of color, during COVID-19 pandemic. Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-02/why-postpartum-depression-
anxiety-rose-during-covid

4. Nobles, D.J., Martin, D.F., Dawson, D.S., Moran, P.P., & Savovic, D.J. (2020,
April 15). The potential impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes and the
implications for service solutions. National Institute for Health Research.
https://arc-w.nihr.ac.uk/Wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-
Rapid-Review-COVID-and-Mental-Health-FINAL.pdf

5. Chew, A.MK., Ong, R., Lei, H., Rajendram, M., V, K.G., Verma, S.K., Fung,
D.S.S., Leong, J.J., Gunasekeran, D.V., (2020, September 09). Digital Health
Solutions for Mental Health Disorders During COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychiatry.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.582007

6. Aved B., Sarwer A., Soto EB., Mashwani Z-R (2020). The coronavirus (COVID-
19) pandemic's impact on mental health. Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2020;35:993–
996. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3008

7. Mental Health conditions Anxiety and Depression increased rapidly during

lockdown. (2020, November 10). Roy Morgan.

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8566-australian-mental-health-conditions-

covid-19-pandemic-november-2020-202011090621?
fbclid=IwAR3P6p0C3DtJQmwW8VnE1w3X-Xya_G3Rc60zez6l7-

j14mQny0tpqh7eQao