https://www.theguardian.

com/world/2020/mar/13/anxiety-on-rise-due-to-
coronavirus-say-mental-health-charities
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00175-z

I am going to talk about how coronavirus affected people’s mental health and ways
to protect it.
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year, new fast-spreading variants
have caused a surge in infections in many countries, and renewed lockdowns. The
devastation of the pandemic — millions of deaths, economic strife, and
unprecedented curbs on social interaction — has already had a marked effect on
people’s mental health. Researchers worldwide are investigating the causes and
impacts of this stress, and some fear that the deterioration in mental health could
linger long after the pandemic has subsided.
The pandemic is causing increased stress and anxiety, especially people with
existing mental health problems.
Reactions to the crisis can include feeling overwhelmed, fearful, sad, angry and
helpless, according to experts. Some people may have difficulty sleeping or
concentrating. Fear of contact with others and going into public spaces may
increase, and some people will have physical symptoms, such as an increased heart
rate or upset stomach.
Studies and surveys conducted so far in the pandemic show that young people,
rather than older people, are most vulnerable to increased psychological distress,
perhaps because their need for social interactions are stronger. Data also suggest
that young women are more vulnerable than young men, and people with young
children, or a previously diagnosed psychiatric disorder, are at high risk for
mental-health problems.
Children, away from their school, friends, and colleagues, can have many
questions about the outbreak and they look toward their parents or caregivers to get
the answer. Not all children and parents respond to stress in the same way. Kids
can experience anxiety, distress, social isolation, and an abusive environment that
can have short‐ or long‐term effects on their mental health.
Doctors, nurses, and paramedics working as a front‐line force to fight the COVID
may be more susceptible to develop mental health symptoms. Long working hours,
patient load, death of their colleagues after exposure to COVID, fear of catching a
disease, isolation from their family and friends, and the dire situation of their
patients may take a negative toll of the mental health of health workers.
So how can individuals protect their mental health?
Firstly, daily routines can play an important role in protecting mental health. Either
maintaining existing routines or creating a new one is recommended and should
feature: going to sleep and waking up at similar times each day, exercising
regularly, putting aside specific times to work and relax, and eating healthy.
Secondly, due to an increased amount of time spent at home, individuals may be
spending a lot of time on social media sites as well. While the use of such sites
may be beneficial in remaining connected with others and informed, it may also
worsen mental health.
Based on this evidence, to avoid detriments to mental health, it is recommended to
reduce the intake of pandemic-related information by only seeking it out a
maximum of once or twice a day from trusted sources.