Mental Health During Covid-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The outburst of coronavirus in December 2019 from Wuhan, China leads to the global COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic by WHO at the beginning of 2020. This resulted in lockdown in many countries, as a preventive measure. Due to the lockdown, people were forced to stay at home, which increased the feeling of loneliness, anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts. Mental health is the least discussed topic but most important. With the outbreak of the highly infectious virus, public fear, anxiety, stress due to lethality, uncertainty also follows. This review article is aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of individuals and groups of individuals. A twenty percent increase in mental illnesses was reported in a survey by the Indian Psychiatric Society, since the coronavirus outbreak in India. In China, a study showed 16.5% moderate to severe depressive symptoms;28.8% moderate to severe anxiety symptoms;8.1% moderate to severe stress due to COVID -19. Different countries all over the world showed similar statistics. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic had probably been the greatest pandemic in modernized human history. To prevent the transmission of coronavirus, the lockdown was imposed, which forced everyone to stay at home. The isolation had an adverse effect on the mental health of individuals.. The mental health of females of all age groups was more adversely affected than the males. Older people were more prone to mental illness, as compared to youngers. Students lacked interest in studies and their motivation to study was decreased. Health care professions were in the most important position during the entire pandemic, however, they weren't resistant to anxiety, stress, or depression. © The Electrochemical Society