What is the impact of Covid-19 on mental health?

The mental impact of Covid-19 or Coronavirus is mainly divided into two categories. Dealing with the disease itself and the fear of contracting it as well as dealing with the measures put in place to try to mitigate its spread. Issues encountered include: [2], [3]

• Fear for one's own health
• Worry and fear for the health of loved ones
• Coping with the loss of a loved one
• Financial distress caused by job loss, reduced business opportunities or business closures
• Isolation and loneliness for vulnerable people needing to shield, schools, support services, workplaces and entertainment venues closed as well as inability to see and connect with friends and family due to lockdown
• Fear of what the future may bring

In turn, these problems lead to a whole host of symptoms that may be experienced to a greater or lesser extent. Among these are:

• Changes in sleeping habits
• Changes in eating habits leading to gaining or losing too much weight
• Difficulty concentrating
• Generalized or more specific anxieties
• The appearance of signs of depression
• The appearance of a phobia such as agoraphobia
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Worsening of existing health problems
• Worsening of existing mental problems such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
• Increased consumption of tobacco, alcohol or other substances
• The appearance of Post-Traumatic Stress after surviving the coronavirus

Practitioners can offer advice to help patients cope with the coronavirus pandemic and offer more specialized treatment options such as virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). They can encourage people to stay up to date with the latest facts using trusted sources rather than social media and ensure they know where to turn if they need specific medical or financial help. It is important that while they are focused on caring for someone else, their patients can only stay strong and healthy by also caring for themselves. Although social media can be harmful if it gives false information or spreads dangerous rumors, it can be a valuable tool for connecting with other people and reducing the impact of isolation.

Learning relaxation tools such as yoga and meditation or spending a few minutes breathing deeply are effective coping mechanisms. Eating healthily and getting enough sleep is essential, as is trying to avoid the temptation to drink too much and smoke. Studies from the World Health Organization show that smoking is clearly implicated in hospitalization and death from coronavirus.
If, however, coronavirus-related anxieties, eating disorders, addictions, stress and phobias become too difficult to manage at home, then Virtual Reality Exposure Therapies (VRET) proves to be an essential part of the therapist's toolbox.

Studies referenced by reliable sources such as the NCBI show that the use of VRET is "highly effective in the treatment of phobias compared to active or inactive controls and was slightly but significantly more effective than in vivo exposure." [4] With C2Care, healthcare professionals are successfully using this virtual therapy and now applying it to mental issues such as anxiety and hygiene phobias created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Once reserved for military training, then a popular part of the virtual gaming world, virtual reality has become a cutting-edge tool that allows clients to expose themselves in a safe and controlled manner to the stimuli that provoke their anxieties. VRET works on similar principles to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Anxieties and phobias cause people to avoid situations that provoke them, thereby limiting their lifestyle. With this therapy, they are gradually exposed to these fear-inducing situations in a slow, safe and controlled manner until they can act normally and enjoy life again.

Social distancing and isolation whether self-imposed or government-enforced can lead to agoraphobia, the fear of leaving the house or being in stressful situations, such as on public transport or shopping. With our VRET applications, the patient is gradually exposed to places that trigger their anxieties. During sessions, the therapist is in complete control and can increase or decrease the virtual exposure based on the patient's responses. This immediate feedback in a safe and controlled environment proves to be a valuable tool.

Being seriously ill or having to spend time in intensive care units leads to the late onset of Post-Traumatic Stress in recovered coronavirus patients. With the VRET, patients can safely re-engage with the incidents that triggered their trauma response. C2Care uses this virtual therapy to recreate the trauma of the intensive care unit allowing clients to view and manage it in context, gradually removing the vivid, debilitating memories and flashbacks left behind by their illness.

As the world emerges from the pandemic and individuals and societies adapt to a new “normal”, effective and targeted mental support and care will be more important than ever. At C2Care we can help you provide them.