Health Care : Current Reviews

COVID-19 Impact on Psychological Health

Obed John Dagwa^* Department of Research and Communication, Northeast Development Commission, Nigeria
^*Correspondence: Obed John Dagwa, Department of Research and Communication, Northeast Development Commission, Nigeria, Tel: 2349038645637, Email:

Received: 13-Aug-2020 Published: 18-Sep-2020, DOI: 10.35248/2375-4273.20.8.258

Introduction

Relating to the widespread and quicker domination of the COVID-19 worldwide, the global lockdown imposed on individuals and social affairs has forced people to adopt new ways of living which contradicts their personal traits. Within this period, many individuals have developed mental stress, anxiety, depression, and have now developed pessimistic idea about the end to this pandemic. I will expatiate on community individuals who have been angered by the strange policy of lockdown due to the COVID-19. I will also discuss and analyze media reports as well as individuals from my society using the psychological and psychoanalytic theory.

Discussion

According to the World Health Organization and Public Health experts, individuals who developed sign and symptoms of COVID-19 should be isolated. Thus when that individual is being tested to be positive, the infected individual will be quarantined while source of infection and contacts will be traced. Infected people being quarantined kept increasing daily, so as the number on death toll. This circumstance kept adding to the depressed people with anxiety.

Each individual is required to cooperate with strict and sometimes compulsive self-control: frequent hand-washing and disinfection, avoidance of close contact with others, refrain from travelling [1].

Nature of motivation to cooperate depends on the individual. More than half would be willing to cooperate autonomously wishing for public well-being [integrated regulation [2]. On the other hand, some people would cooperate from fear of becoming a target of criticism by and elimination from society [external regulation [2]. Positive careers of COVID-19 are strongly criticized on the internet, especially on social media sites. In my interview with some medical practitioners, their spouse and family isolate them when working in the isolation center or the public hospital where patients of the COVID-19 are receiving medical care. The group mentality manifested by these deviated attitudes is what Bion calls the fightflight basic assumption group [3]. Nasty attack on communities by law enforcement to close down menial business and ensure everyone stays indoor increases the rate of anxiety and frustration among individuals. For those who united as “lock-down police” needed scapegoats which they identified as “social evils”, thus the hypomanic message to society encouraging people to unite, and not succumb to the virus (as commonly seen during natural disasters), comes with the risk of excluding an individual who are discouraged [1].

One of my patients gained weight during the period of the local government’s request to stay inside. COVID-19 enhanced his feeling of loneliness, which plunged him to oral stage [4]. One of the most pervasive behavior exhibited by individuals in the society are abuse of nicotine, Indian hem and alcohol. Speaking to an individual, he asserts that “It makes us become self dependent since the government banned us from social event. We take it and reduce depression”. This behavior is widely spread across social media and thus, it worsened among individuals battling with interpersonal dependency. Other objects for addiction such as alcohol or exercise also are not problematic themselves. It depends on the individual whether the above objects are utilized adequately or not [5].

Maladaptive usage of internet and mobile phone text-message services also has been a psychological and psychiatric focus for its addiction-related behaviors [6,7]. Looking into the internet, my analysis showed that it has provided social support. Some universities across the globe have adopted the online classes from home comfort which give room for students to participate within the lockdown. Hence, their opportunity to meet their peers had been diminished. Some students, those with high ego function, were able to keep working on their own real task even under this critical situation, and utilize mutual support using email and/ or mobile phone when necessary [8]. They are autonomous and undaunted to the anxiety of aloneness.

In a broader perspective, a society requires the social distancing as the internet and social media are part of our lives. It should be noted and adhered to that epidemiological researcher need to target the general population and also victims of the COVID-19 who have fallen into depression and exhibiting strange behaviors. Psychotherapies and/or social therapies for those with addiction behaviors also remain to be established [1].

Without self autonomy, the psychological health of people will be at risk. It is important that the social structure should put all policies in line with the psychological health of the people. It is very important that if the social policy of lockdown must be implemented to keep people safe from the COVID-19, then the policy should also include the provision of clinical psychiatrist who will provide psychological interventions for people who exhibits strange behaviors by not adapting to the system in place.

Conclusions

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the behavior and attitudes of the people of Nigeria indicated that pathologies have been in existence. Fortunate enough, the COVID-19 pandemic just uncovered the truth about the existence of those Pathologies. One cannot say that the COVID-19 outbreak is the prime factor of the behavioral addiction, but the pandemic complement the existing pathologies among individuals. Even under this critical situation, autonomous individuals are not susceptible to the pathologies of other people and society, and are able to keep working on their real task. Nevertheless, COVID-19 poises the greatest threat to society today. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of societies without adaptability and cooperative attitudes. Measures should be put in place to enhance the adaptability and positive behavioral characteristics in this COVID-19 era. Looking at individuals who have been caught in these negative behavioral and addictive attitudes, and are unable to cope with the depression and anxiety of the lockdown, there must be an immediate psychosocial and psychological mediation. In respect to that, public health experts, clinical psychiatrist and psychologist need to be put on the frontline to ensure the implementation of this objective.

REFERENCES

1. Uji M. Discussing the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health from a Psychological Perspective Psychology. 2020;11:1005-1008.
2. Deci EL. Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation. 1996.
3. Bion W. Experiences in Groups and Other Papers. 1961.
4. Freud S. Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality:A Case of Hysteria, Three Essays on Sexuality and Other Works. 1905;123-246.
5. Christo G, Jones SL, Haylett S, Stephenson GM, Lefever RMH, Lefever R. The Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire Further Validation of Tool for Simultaneous Assessment of Multiple Addictive Behaviours. Add Behav. 2003;28:225-248.
6. Li G, Hou G, Yang D, Jian H, Wang W. Relationship between Anxiety, Depression, Sex, Obesity, and Internet Addiction in Chinese Adolescents: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study. Add Behav. 2019;90:421-427.
7. Hong W, Liu RD, Ding Y, Sheng X, Zhen R. Mobile Phone Addiction and Cognitive Failures in Daily Life: The Mediating Roles of Sleep Duration and Quality and the Moderating Role of Trait Self-Regulation. Add Behav. 107.
8. Bellack L, Hurvich M, Gediman H. Ego Functions in Schizophrenics, Neurotics, and Normals. 1973.