Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health
As we already know and may have experienced, the coronavirus has caused many people to fall ill. The coronavirus has also impacted society in a variety of ways, such as; the economy, education, and social life. However, some people fail to realize the impacts of these changes on the mental health of people of all ages. People all over the world have suffered from this virus, whether it be from work, school, or isolation. People worldwide must remind themselves that almost every person is also going through similar troubles, and it is necessary to stay together mentally. Although some may say that mental health effects are not a crucial aspect of the coronavirus when compared to other factors such as physical wellbeing or economic status, mental health is most affected by the virus because each effect of the pandemic lockdown ultimately causes increased mental pressures.
Education
The educational system has been drastically altered due to online and socially distanced learning, resulting in severe repercussions on students’ mental states. When the pandemic began, schools were forced to shut down worldwide, and “over 90% of enrolled learners (1.5 billion young people) worldwide [were] out of education,” (Lee). As schools started to close, students lost many resources, and their daily lives became disrupted as they had to adapt to the online environment, especially “for children and adolescents with mental health needs, such closures mean a lack of access to the resources they usually have through schools” (Lee). These scarce resources could include access to peers and teachers when they just need someone to talk to. The students would not be able to have direct contact with the advisors and counselors that schools usually provide. These problems are more prevalent and worse among low-income communities. In lower-income towns, students did not only lose counselors, but they also lost other resources such as complimentary meals and even internet connection. In fact, “17 percent of teenagers have difficulty completing homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection. For Black students, the number spikes to 25 percent,” (Terada). Terada proves that although the virus itself does not directly “target” people of different colors, it still has a way of affecting lower-income families more than others due to their limited income. Due to these unfortunate circumstances, “over 20% of the 757 candidates surveyed said their stress levels were at a maximum 10 out of 10,” (Lee). Terada and Lee’s information explains that the students’ worries may cause major changes in their mental state because of the pressures that ultimately overwhelm them. As the coronavirus has impacted many aspects of society negatively, each one of these aspects directly affects the mental health of people of all ages.
The changes in education have farther-reaching impacts than only students; parents have felt increased mental pressures as well due to the new school structure. Some students had mental illnesses that worsened because schools closed, and they could not acquire crucial support as the pandemic began. Since school is online and at home, “some lock themselves up inside their rooms for weeks, refusing to take showers, eat, or leave their beds,” which can cause many other health problems and shows instability mentally. Lee explains that “children with special education needs, such as those with autism spectrum disorder, are also at risk. They can become frustrated and short-tempered when their daily routines are disrupted.” These children are not the only ones that would suffer because of staying at home. Since many parents now must work from home, they would have to take care of the children while working, which can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety as they balance their workload and parental care. Furthermore, “Since most mental health disorders begin in childhood, it is essential that any mental health issues be identified early and treated. Left untreated, they can lead to serious health and emotional problems,” (Terada). When there are no professionals taking care of these disturbed children, they can become much more mentally unstable. For the parents who may realize that the children are not doing well and try to help them, being around them would most likely put an outstanding amount of mental pressure on them, especially when they are also working. According to Terada, “only 24 percent of parents said that their child’s school was providing materials and other resources to support students with disabilities.” Unfortunately, most of the other 76% were people that lived in low-income communities or communities of color. For the kids with these disabilities, not getting the materials they need might make them feel like they are behind compared to the rest of the class or grade, causing them further stress and anxiety. Evidently, online schools have severely impacted special needs students and their parents, who must now watch over them during the workday.
Economy
As many United States citizens have lost their jobs, the government decided to create a relief bill to give monetary benefits to the unemployed citizens. The government put in place a $900 billion coronavirus relief package, that would give people eligible for unemployment $600 weekly along with other programs to help revive the economy (Watkins). Some may say that this bill is not effective and the government would be wasting money. One Republican senator, in particular, Rand Paul of Kentucky, believes that if politicians support accepting the relief bill, they would “lose their soul,” because the “bill is free money for everyone,” (Watkins). Paul questions other lawmakers, “Why stop at $600 a person? Why not $1,000? Why not $2,000?” Rand Paul points out that the amount of aid the government is willing to give is arbitrary and can easily be inflated to increase payouts to each person. He further believes that this aid is unnecessary and will ultimately harm the American economic system by teaching citizens that the government will always bail them out of difficult situations. Paul believes this will cause massive national debt and a loss of faith in the American economy (Watkins). Although Rand Paul’s argument may appear convincing, the Covid-19 relief bill is beneficial as it decreases the economic pressures faced by many Americans during this time. Due to lockdown measures, many people have lost their jobs and are in difficult financial situations. This additional aid is the primary income helping many people avoid eviction and foreclosures and provide food for their families. Without these measures, there would be increased poverty rates and many more people in dire financial situations, leading to even more mental health issues due to stress.
A significant cause for a change in mental health due to the Coronavirus is the economic downfall. In his article “How Will Our Mental Health Be Affected By This New Financial Crisis?”, Misha Gajewski explains, “The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has caused thousands of businesses to shutter and millions of people to lose their jobs. Not to mention this has caused up to 40 million people to be at risk for losing their homes.”. Additionally, according to Reggie Williams, “For mental health, one-third of adults reported experiencing mental health concerns — significantly higher than what we saw in other countries. On the financial side, over 30 percent of Americans faced negative economic impacts due to the pandemic — significantly more than in the comparison countries that we focused on.” When reviewing this data, it is implied that countries with more financial troubles are experiencing a higher percentage of people reporting mental pressures. This is expected because most people who lose their jobs will have difficulty paying their rent and getting food, causing them to be stressed. Reggie Williams found through a survey “that half or more of those who faced economic problems during COVID-19 also reported mental health distress.” It is no doubt that the economy took a big hit from the pandemic as “the U.S. has the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression with more than 30 million Americans unemployed,” and it is vital to figure out ways to revive it as many people are suffering mentally due to these economic struggles (Gajewski). Although it is necessary to focus on getting the economy running again, while there are not enough programs in place to help the people who have been affected mentally by the effects of Covid-19.
In response to economic pressures, many people have been experiencing deteriorating mental health, as shown by increased mental health disorders. Researchers have noted many different and more severe symptoms have developed since the pandemic has started, specifically, “high symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” (Gajewski). These pressures can be life-threatening as many people start to consider suicide and turn to drugs, which may lead to accidental overdoses. In fact, according to the “Overdose Data Mapping Application program published in may… fatal overdoses rose by almost 11.4% in comparison to last year,” (Gajewski). These negative impacts result almost directly from “financial insecurity, housing insecurity, job insecurity,” (Gajewski). To prove that economic catastrophes have a significant effect on people’s mental state, I gathered information from the 2008 recession that states there was a “4.2% increase in male suicides in Europe and a 6.4% rise in American countries,” this is not including the “non-fatal suicide attempts [that] could be 40 times more common than completed suicides, and for every suicide attempt about 10 people experience suicidal thoughts,” (Gajewski). The impact that the Coronavirus has had on the economy is drastic, however, what people fail to understand is how horrific the people affected by the economic depression are being mentally hurt, and the government must also take this into account instead of only providing financial aid.
Despite some beliefs that the mental effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are insignificant, ultimately, these impacts are very profound as the educational and economic impacts of restrictions lead to worsening mental health. There is no doubt the government should develop programs and legislation to help the economy and education; however, we also need to invest resources to care for mentally suffering people. Despite the costs associated with these programs, the value they provide to our society by improving overall wellbeing is astronomical. It is crucial that in the future and now, we come together as a community and let everyone know that many others are going through the same troubles and difficulties, and we will overcome them together.
Annotated Bibliography
Gajewski, Misha. “How Will Our Mental Health Be Affected By This New Financial Crisis?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 21 Sept. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/mishagajewski/2020/09/21/how-will-our-mental-health-be-affected-by-this-new-financial-crisis/?sh=79e2f92362b5.
Misha Gajewski explores how the economy was affected by the Coronavirus and how it has impacted people mentally. Gajewski explains that there is a major uptick in the percentage of people that experienced anxiety and depression. The author states that the reasons for this increase include job losses and isolation. The author gathers specific statistics from many different surveys to support her claims. The author does a profound job of informing the audience of the causes, effects, and evidence for mental change from the pandemic. The intended audience is people that may be experiencing mental pressure, as well as the general public.
Lee, Joyce. “Mental Health Effects of School Closures during COVID-19.” The Lancet, 1 June 2020, www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30109-7/fulltext.
Joyce Lee explains the effects of Covid-19 on the educational system and how it has put a significant toll on mental health. She includes statistics to support her claim and gives an opinion on why people are suffering mentally in this unfortunate situation. She does a great job informing the audience of the causes, effects, and evidence on how the education system has changed and what it has done to the students mentally. Her intended audience is people that may be experiencing mental pressure, as well as the general public.
Terada, Youki. “Covid-19’s Impact on Students’ Academic and Mental Well-Being.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 24 June 2020, www.edutopia.org/article/covid-19s-impact-students-academic-and-mental-well-being.
Youki Terada describes how lower-income areas suffered more from the coronavirus, and they were given many resources from the government. Since the students are not in school, they do not receive the same aids. The author includes statistics along with opinions to support her claim and gives a view on why lower-income communities have suffered more and what should be done. Youki does a great job of supporting her claims by including the causes, effects, and evidence on how the lower-income areas suffered more from the coronavirus. The intended audience is people that may be experiencing mental pressure, as well as the general public.
Watkins, Morgan. “Rand Paul Plays Christmas Grinch, Derides COVID-19 Relief Aid Mitch McConnell Negotiated.” Journal, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Dec. 2020, www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/21/rand-paul-opposes-covid-19-relief-package-mitch-mcconnell-negotiated/3994210001/.
Morgan Watkins explores how the government has given aid to the economy and what some people believe about the aid. The author uses quotes and statistics to help support his claims. Watkins does a great job of supporting the claims made by including the opinions and evidence on why the government must give aid to the people of the United States. The intended audience is the general public.
Williams, Reggie, and Seervai, Shanoor. “Americans Are Struggling with the Mental Health and Economic Impact of COVID-19.” Commonwealth Fund, www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/podcast/2020/oct/americans-are-struggling-mental-health-and-economic-impact-covid-19.
Williams and Shanoor speak about how Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the economy and negatively affected many citizens’ mental health. They speak about how there is a major uptick in the percentage of people that experienced anxiety and depression. The authors state that reasons for this increase include job losses and isolation. The authors gather specific statistics from many different surveys to support their claims. The authors do a profound job of informing the audience of the causes, effects, and evidence for mental change from the pandemic. The intended audience is people that may be experiencing mental pressure, as well as the general public.