Natalia Obregón
Jun 10, 20213 min
The COVID-19 pandemic is currently having disruptive effects on life throughout the globe. Lockdowns have been imposed which restricted people to their homes. They are unable to carry out their social life. Everything has gone virtual with the looming crisis of staying relevant to the activities. Financial conditions also worsened due to disruptions in the supply chain. Hence, the pandemic brought tensions and hardships in the lives of the people.
Although people belonging to all strata of the society have been affected, students faced mental issues frequently. The use of technology and the internet has grown exponentially as many everyday practices, from jobs and school and healthcare and beyond, have moved from public spaces to homes. Mental fatigue caused by the exasperating screen time and limitations of socialisation. Students found it hard to stay focused and concentrate due to remote learning. They also found themselves short of ways and means to rejoice themselves as life activities had been halted.
Vision disability, spinal disabilities, finger numbness, arm pain, bulimia, obesity, nausea, rage issues, violence, antisocial behaviour, and depression are just a few of the physical and mental health issues that teens, especially students, encounter. Pre-lockdown learning for children and teenagers was mostly one-on-one contact with mentors and peer groups around the world, but the processes reversed with the onset of the pandemic. Hence, external anxiety of the pandemic along with pressure to study virtually worsened the situation for the students which gave rise to an increased incidence of mental issues in them.
Fear and anxiety have spread across the world as one of the COVID-19 pandemic and franchise. Children and adolescents have experienced both short and long-term psychosocial and mental health consequences of this phenomenon. Many vulnerability factors, such as developmental age, educational status, pre-existing mental health conditions, being socially disadvantaged, or being quarantined due to infection or fear of infection. For long periods, the absence of a formal school environment causes disturbance of routine, boredom, and a lack of new ideas for participating in various academic and extracurricular activities.
Since they are unable to play outside, make friends, or participate in in-person school events, some children underwent severe mental burden. Because of the long-term change in their routine, these children have become clingier, attention-seeking, and dependent on their parents. Due to lockdowns, the closure of businesses ceased financial activities which put a financial burden on the people. Financial burden readily transformed into mental pressure which enhanced the rate of depression and anxiety attacks in the people.
The high incidence of mental complications during a pandemic can be lowered if people change their attitude and perception about what is happening around them. People are required to understand that they are living in an unusual time of a deadly pandemic. Unusual time requires an unusual level of resolution from people. There is a need for alteration in the attitude of the people so that they should be strong enough to deal with the situation. They should not let themselves down in the face of obstacles.
People can set up virtual Zoom session with their relatives and friends to compensate for the loss of in-person contacts they previously enjoyed. Hence, it is commonly held that an idle brain is a devil’s workshop so, it becomes imperative that people should keep themselves engaged and focused and do not fall into the well of darkness and depression.
Another valuable way to address the issues of mental health is to consult mental counsellors. Such professionals can play a significant role in the treatment of serious mental disorders like bipolar, depression, antisocial behaviour, phobias, etc.
One important advantage of seeking mental counselling is that the mental counsellor develops a strong interpersonal relationship with the patient which help him diagnose the issue correctly and engage with the patient efficiently.
There is no gap of communication between the counsellor and the patient. Also, a mental counsellor can play a vital role to motivate the already depressed patient. They can assist the patient in discovering the hidden thinking processes so that the patient can make positive and constructive changes in life.
Moreover, mental counselling also provides an apt solution to deal with the emotional vulnerabilities of the depressed person. Mental health counsellors also inculcate confidence in the patients by allowing them to speak whatever they want. Hence, during the high vulnerability of people to mental issues during the tense period of the pandemic, mental health counsellors can prove to be pivotal in keeping the mental health of the people intact.
The team at Chat2us team can assist you to recuperate or improve your mental health. Check out our website and contact us for a free 15-minute first consultation.