INTRODUCTION

Due to the fear and worry from the virus wreaking havoc all around the globe, which is
the novel Coronavirus, there are adverse effects to the mental health of a lot of individuals. The
virus is not just capable of causing deadly disease in our bodies, but is also capable of causing
negative effects in terms of mental health. In relation to that, there is a lot of media coverage
with regards to mental health during the current global pandemic. In connection to the
coronavirus pandemic, there are a lot of podcasts and webinars conducted about the coronavirus.
On March 23, 2020, the podcast with the title “Mental Health in the Covid-19 Pandemic: How
to cope in a Crisis” by John Hopkins Bloomberg Public School and with Dr. Monica
Schoch-Spana, a medical anthropologist and a senior scholar with the Center for Health Security
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tackled the mental health impacts of
the Coronavirus epidemic and what are the things that can be done to address the negative
effects. The main point of the said podcast is the impact of the coronavirus on an individual’s
mental health, and the things that can be done to address them. An additional main point of the
conducted podcast is the two ways that the pandemic impacts an individual’s mental health. On
the other hand, there is a webinar conducted last July 4, 2020, with the theme “Stop Covid
Deaths: Clinical Management Updates, COVID-19, Mental Health and Mindfulness” featuring
Dr. Anselmo Tronco of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, which according
to him, is about the point of view of positivism. One of the main points of his discussion is the
wellness public health framework in disaster mental health, as well as Psychosocial framework
of disaster. Although the podcast and the webinar slightly differ in their content, both of them
have the main point about the effects of the coronavirus on mental health.

SUMMARY

As the whole world was affected by the novel Coronavirus, the “normal” life seems to be
drastically changed. The novel Coronavirus has caused a huge disruption not just in the daily
lives of every individual, but also to the economy, businesses, and disrupted world trade and
movements. Aside from that, one of the alarming effects of the Coronavirus is its adverse effect
not just on an individual’s physical health, but to their mental health as well. In accordance with
that, there are a great number of that highlights the adverse impact of the virus to mental health
First is the podcast with the title “Mental Health in the Covid-19 Pandemic: How to cope in a
Crisis” by John Hopkins Bloomberg Public School and with Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana. The
main point of the podcast was the impact of the coronavirus on an individual’s mental health.
The podcast also tackled the two ways in which the pandemic impacts an individual’s mental
health, wherein according to Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana was called the diffuse stress, and the
unique stress. In line with that, the podcast also talked about the individuals who are thought to
be the most vulnerable to the impact of the coronavirus to mental health. The things that each
one of us can learn from this pandemic in terms of mental health challenges are also discussed.
Another topic that was discussed was the ways that can be done to respond and to be able to
mitigate the burden of the situation, which is the negative impact of the pandemic to mental
health. Succeeding that topic, Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana then moved to the possible policies that
the lawmakers could pass in order to support the mental health not only during the pandemic, but
as the general public concern. Due to the fact that the healthcare workers are deemed to be one of
the most vulnerable groups to the crisis, Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana also discussed the possible
ways in which the healthcare institutions can help in supporting the mental health of the
healthcare workers. Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana also deliberate about those individuals who
already have an underlying mental health condition prior the pandemic, and her
recommendations for those individuals. Moving on with the webinar, with the theme “Stop
Covid Deaths: Clinical Management Updates, COVID-19, Mental Health and Mindfulness”
featuring Dr. Anselmo Tronco of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, the
main points discussed by Dr. Anselmo Tronco are the psychosocial framework of disaster, the
cultural values which are embedded in the Filipino wherein they draw their resilience from, the
wellness framework in disaster mental health, as well as the mental health disaster program for
healthcare workers, together with the wellness program being developed for the PGH to
becoming a nurturing and compassionate community. Simultaneously, both the webinar and the
podcast highlighted the impact of the Coronavirus on one's mental health.

BODY

The viral infection wreaking havoc all around the world as of now is known as the
Coronavirus. Last February 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the
novel disease is officially called Coronavirus Disease 19 or COVID-19, and the virus infecting it
is referred to as COVID-19 virus. The coronavirus, also known as Covid-19 belongs to the large
family of viruses that are known to cause illness which range from common cold to more severe
diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS, and Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome or SARS. The novel coronavirus is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been
previously identified in humans before, and because the virus was just newly discovered for the
first time, it is taking quite a long time to develop a vaccine. In view of the fact that the number
of people infected by Coronavirus steadily increases day by day, so is the fear, stress, and anxiety
that a lot of individuals face. In line with that, the podcast conducted by the John Hopkins
Bloomberg Public School featuring Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana, discussed the impact of the virus
on mental health. According to Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana, there are two ways in which we can
think about the mental health impacts of the pandemic, the diffuse distress, and the so called
unique stresses that are being placed on some of us at the same time. As stated by Dr. Monica,
the diffuse distress which is mainly caused by feelings of uncertainty because of the virus, as
well as the change in bodily habits; for instance, hand washing, interruptions of social
relationships due to social distancing, and economic interruptions. Simultaneously, those causes
the diffuse distress which are experienced by a lot of people. According to (Ahorsu et al., 2020a,
b; Brooks et al., 2020), along with the fear of infection to this highly contagious virus, fear of
losing loved ones, the COVID-19 related misinformation spreading, the lack of medical
treatment, and the shortage of properly equipped units to treat the patients, the lockdown-related
issues, for example, prolonged home isolation, social distancing, food insecurity, fear of
unemployment, loss of income, are being sought to be associated with mental distresses like
depression, anxiety, phobia, insomnia, and trauma.

As stated by dr. Monica, the individuals who are at most risk for mental health
consequences are the health care workers for the reason that they face different types of distress
during pandemics and outbreaks such as increased work shifts, the distance from their own
family. Another group who are at most risk stated by Dr. Monica are the people who are in self
quarantine due to the feelings of uncertainty during their incubation period about whether or not
they are going to be sick, and the fact that they are cut off from people. Furthermore, if they were
infected, they will face additional stress such as the feelings of uncertainty whether they have the
mild or severe case, and even if they are already healed, the possibility of them facing stigma is
another additional stress. Alongside the groups of people who are defined by Dr. Monica as the
group who are at most risk of mental health distress, another group in my mind who are most at
risk for mental health distress are the parents; seeing that they not only experience stress for their
own safety, but for their children and whole family as well. In terms of mental health challenges
from the pandemic, we can learn how important human communication is. Instead of shunning
those people who are healthcare professionals, or those people who have previously healed from
the virus, it is much better to educate ourselves about the virus and prevent the stigma. Another
thing that we can learn during the pandemic is how mental health problems can be mitigated by
simple human connection. In agreement with what the speaker said, as individuals, the one thing
that we can do to mitigate the burden of the current situation is through maintaining our social
relationship with our loved ones; because during these hard times, being connected with other
people is important. Human communication may result in greater personal recovery from mental
health problems (Wong E.C et al. 2019), similar to what Dr. Monica has said in the podcast. We
should all be aware of the statement “Social distancing does not mean Psychological distance”,
the only thing that we should isolate during a pandemic is our physical self, and not our
connection with other people.

In line with the aim of taking care of one’s mental health during the pandemic, Dr.
Monica discussed possible policies that can be passed by the lawmakers and concerned groups in
support of mental health, not just during this pandemic, but as general public concern. One
policy is the need of moving mental health to the foreground of the response. Most of the time,
many people forget that mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health,
that is why it is important to have that policy. The second policy is the need of the public health
authorities to include their behavioral health counterparts and plan the response hand in hand, in
order for the behavioral professionals to lend their hand in helping the mental health of the
individuals especially during this trying times. When it comes to the Philippines, the notable
action that the country did in terms of responding to the mental health problems is the official
signing of the mental health act legislation into a law, last, which is then enacted as the Republic
Act no. 11036. The law provides a comprehensive framework for the implementation of the
optimal mental healthcare in the country, as well as a rights-based mental health bill. Seeing that
the healthcare workers working during the pandemic are the most vulnerable to the impact of the
pandemic to mental health, it is just right that they are given the necessary attention and the
required attention for their mental health. In agreement to what Dr. Monica had stated, it is
important for the healthcare workers to have a break from their schedule, wherein they could
decompress from the stress brought upon by the pandemic. Furthermore, having access to
behavioral health experts and access to chaplaincy is important in order to care for their mental
health. Aside from what Dr. Monica has discussed, another thing that could help lessen the
mental health burden of the healthcare professional is the overall discipline of the public when it
comes to following the health protocols for Covid-19, doing so will lessen the patients being
infected and admitted to the hospital, and in turn, will help lessen the workload of the frontliners.

Aside from the mental health of the healthcare workers, another thing to be concerned
about are the people who already have an underlying mental health illness prior to the pandemic.
Those individuals who have anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) preceding the
pandemic, it is recommended that the healthcare providers to put an intervention wherein
individuals with mental health problems can easily access them, especially during this pandemic
wherein they could have more acute reactions in comparison to prior the pandemic. The
isolation, loss of income, and fear of the virus itself can trigger the existing mental health
conditions, which is why it is very important for those individuals who have prior mental health
illness to be aware of their condition, and know when to seek help if needed. In line with this, a
webinar conducted last May 20,2020, with the title “Mental Health and Covid 19”, which
features Dr. Don Mordecai of the National Leader for Mental Health and Wellness of Kaiser
Permanente Foundation, has given advice for those people who have underlying mental health
conditions specifically during the pandemic. First off is that it is vital that the individual who has
a mental health condition to keep working with their mental health care team and avoid negative
coping behaviors. It is important to stick with the care plan if the individual is already receiving
treatment, especially at a time like this. According to Dr. Don Mordecai, most of the time, when
an individual feels stressed, they tend to neglect themselves more, such as stop taking their
medications, or going to their health care team, which is wrong, since it is a negative coping
behavior. Instead, an individual with an underlying mental health condition should opt for
positive coping behaviours such as exercise, a good diet, and communicating with their health
care team, and the most important is maintaining healthy social connections.

In view of the fact that the social distancing requirements required the people to
stay in their own houses, most families are now together, with the overall stress accompanying
them. With that being said, it could result in negative effects such as domestic abuse, as Dr.
Monica said. According to the World Health Organization, the chances of a woman and their
children to be exposed to violence is increased dramatically, due to the fact the family members
spend more time together and can lead to intensified household stress, which can be triggered
more when the family have to cope with job loss or potential economic loss. In addition to that,
according to BBC news, the global case of domestic abuse was thought to have increased by
twenty percent during the lockdown due to pandemic. Globally, the actions taken to prevent
domestic abuse during the pandemic is the increased awareness of the health care facilities so
that when victims reach out to them, they can easily receive appropriate health care and support.
Moreover, strengthening the capacity of law enforcement and justice sectors to prevent domestic
abuse was done in response to the rising cases of domestic violence globally. According to
Inquirer.net. in the Philippines, over 3,600 cases of domestic abuse were reported since the
effectiveness of the enhanced quarantine over Luzon last mid-March. The PNP Women and
Children Protection Desks are working closely with LGUs or Local Government Units to ensure
the welfare of women and children are protected in response to the alarming increase in the rate
of domestic abuse in the Philippines.

The coronavirus has brought risk not just on our physical health, but to our mental health
as well. The anxiety and fear from the invisible virus, as well as the fear for everyone’s safety, is
taking a huge toll on our mental and psychological health. In accordance to that, there are ways
in which we can cope with the impact of the virus on our mental health. As an individual, we can
cope up with the adverse effect of the virus to our mental health by human connection. For
instance, we can talk to our loved ones through the phone, or video call with them through
messaging apps. Another way to cope up with the crisis is through taking care of our mental
health by practicing positive coping mechanisms such as exercising, meditating, eating healthy
foods, and avoiding negative coping mechanisms. In addition, one can seek professional help if
needed. In terms of community levels, first off is that the community should ensure the safety of
its citizens by following the health guidelines such as physical distancing. Another way for the
community to cope up with the crisis is by educating its citizens about the virus to lessen the fear
and anxiety of the people due to the uncertainty. In line with that, educating the community could
lessen the possible stigma and could lessen the possibility of the community members to shun
healthcare professionals or those individuals who are already healed from the virus. In terms of
national level, implementing policies and guidelines that are beneficial to help in the adverse
effect of the pandemic to an individual’s mental health is a way to cope up with the crisis. In
times like this, it is essential for the whole world to stay connected in terms of psychological
aspect to let everyone know that we are all in this together, and nothing should be left behind in
terms of mental health during the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, coronavirus is a deadly disease that is not just only capable of affecting our
physical health, but our mental health as well. The factors such as anxiety and fear of the disease,
changes in habits, isolation, loss of income, fear of losing a job, are just the few factors that can
cause an individual to feel distress during these times. As what the podcast featuring Dr. Monica
Schoch-Spana said, it is important to take care of our mental health especially during these times.
It is vital for each one of use to be aware of our mental health, and to avoid negative coping
mechanisms that can worsen our mental health. Things such as communicating with our loved
ones, developing healthy habits, such as exercising, meditating, and even eating healthy foods,
can help each one of us to cope with this crisis. One should always remember that during these
times, connection with other people is important, as human connection has a huge impact when it
comes to our mental health. During epidemic conditions, quarantine-related stressors that impact
mental health outcomes include prolonged duration of isolation, infection fears, frustration,
boredom, inadequate supplies and information, financial loss, and stigma, which are associated
with subsequent psychological disorders after brief quarantines of as little as 10 days (Wessely S
et al. 2020), that is one of the reason why human connection as important, due to the fact that the
feelings of isolation, fears, frustration, and even boredom could greatly take a toll in n
individual’s mental wellness. In line with that, I recommend the podcast and the webinar not just
on the people experiencing mental health problems, but to each one of us. It could help a lot of
individuals to be informed about the importance of being aware of one’s mental health during
trying times like this. After carefully watching the podcast and the webinar, I came to the
realization that we are not alone in this battle, we are all in this together, and we could overcome
this crisis by not just taking care of one’s physical health, but our mental health as well.