We are about to embark on a brave new year 2024, after all the dust has settled from the aftermath of COVID 19. Mental health has had a major impact since then. We all hope that after this arduous respiratory disaster and everyone’s experience of some kind of trauma we might have a brighter future ahead. Consequently, when you lose a loved one or numerous other causes such as lockdown, the situation, we hope to grieve and feel the feelings necessary to readjust in society. However, with this comes the post dilemma of picking up the pieces we call life, meaning and living.
Mental health and substance use disorder have increased and has had a major impact since the beginning of the pandemic. People who have mental illnesses or disorders and then get COVID-19 are more likely to die than those who don’t have mental illnesses or disorders.
and still will take time for everyone’s vulnerability and mental health challenges to be addressed.
In the study conducted by Badinlou, Lundgren, and Jansson-Fröjmark, the authors examined the mental health outcomes of individuals who had acquired COVID-19, focusing particularly on the effects of post-COVID impairments and fatigue on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The results of this study were critical to understanding the broader impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those related to mental health.
In order to obtain the results of this study, 507 individuals with confirmed or probable infection with SARS-CoV-2 were asked to complete a web survey. An assessment of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue, as well as demographic questions, were included in the survey.
The study revealed significant findings indicating high rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among the participants. More than 70% of the sample reported having at least one mental health issue above clinical thresholds. A higher level of these mental health issues is correlated with the severity of the original COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation due to the virus, and severity of post-COVID impairments and fatigue. An important predictor of mental health problems was reduced motivation.
As a result of this study, it was concluded that individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 are at greater risk of mental health challenges. In particular, those who experienced ongoing impairments following COVID were particularly affected. The results of the study emphasise the need for more effective strategies for supporting and promoting the mental health of individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19.
Researchers have previously examined the psychosocial responses of the general population to pandemic-related strategies such as quarantine and lockdown in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health problems increased significantly during the pandemic, as indicated by these studies. The post-COVID-19 condition, which is characterised by a range of persistent symptoms, including mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, has been identified in follow-up studies of COVID-19 survivors. During the acute phase of the disease, even persons with mild to moderate symptoms were reported to have this condition. Nearly half of individuals with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection experienced mid- or long-term symptoms after they recovered from the illness. A study by Badinlou et al. contributes to the body of knowledge by focusing specifically on mental health outcomes in patients with post-COVID conditions, underscoring the need for targeted mental health interventions in this population.
As Brenne Brown points out, showing vulnerability is still stigmatised, yet encourages creativity, new beginnings, and rebirth. The myth of normal by Gabor Mate discusses the obscene society we live in and how we should embrace mental health more in the future in order to create a more stable society that embraces new norms.
The above mentioned studies show clearly how imperative it is to seek help and look after one’s mental-health and taking the leap when the need to heal is dire in asking for help is not only necessary but a necessity.
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