COVID-19 Impact On Mental Health Wellness In India

Desolating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is well-known to people worldwide. The amount of mental health distress caused by the pandemic and the rules adhered to prevent it (lockdown, social isolation, physical distancing) are taking a toll on the countries and states, as evidenced by multiple studies. As we await the one-year anniversary of the “first stay-at-home orders” in the United States, a unique inaugural global study about mental wellness that perceives the mental health impact of COVID-19 in India is carried out as a component of the Mental Health Million Project.

Almost 36% of Americans were identified to have a serious impact of the pandemic on their mental health, according to the American Psychiatric Association poll.

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Launch of the Mental Health Million Project

As the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing national mental health crisis, the launch of the Mental Health Million Project aims to map the evolving mental wellbeing of the global population – an initiative taken by Sapien Labs.

A unique Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) assessment tool (read more: sapienlabs.org/mhq/) is utilized by the study to gather data and construct a comprehensive view of the evolving mental well-being of our world. The study not only measures the primary metric – “happiness”, but also includes parameters such as emotional, social, and cognitive function.

Mental well-being is thus measured by the capacity to handle life and its various stresses and challenges by self-perception along various dimensions of mental function. Ratings/scores of individual ranges on a spectrum from “clinical” to “thriving”.

“Importantly, the MHQ is not an assessment of happiness or life satisfaction, but of the ability to cope with life and its challenges. It can however evolve with circumstance and Individuals should take the assessment at different time intervals”, says Dr. Jennifer Newson, Sapien Labs’ Lead Scientist for Mental Health.

The current research was conducted until December 31, 2020, which includes timely data on the impact of COVID-19 on different age demographics, and in different nations across the globe.

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Data on Mental Wellbeing

The essential conclusions associated with global mental wellbeing are the following:

• The mental costs of the COVID-19 pandemic in India – involving unexpected sources of trauma, mental impact, and the prevalence of health, social, and financial adversity, and diversity in consequences for age, gender, and geography.
• Global drifts in mental well-being highlighting unique challenges facing Generation Z, and implying an expanding global crisis.
• The link between aging and mental well-being
• The future implications of non-adherence to data-driven policies that label the alarming signs of mental distress.

The project thereby attempts to distinguish the drivers of mental wellbeing that can lead to more effective data-driven policies and intervention for those at risk of a clinical disorder.

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Ways to Maintain good mental health during the pandemic

• Formulating good healthy relationships (virtually if at home during the pandemic) greatly contributes to a sense of mental well-being
• A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Hence allocate time for exercise and stay healthy
• Consume nutritious foods and drink plenty of water
• Ensure a proper sleep regimen
• Acknowledge your positive strengths and develop gratitude
• Stay calm and practice meditation to help ease mental restlessness
• Trust reliable sources for news on COVID-19
• Get involved in an enjoyable activity to avoid unnecessary anxiety regarding pandemic
• Follow self-care and seek help whenever needed

References:

1. SapienLabs – (https://sapienlabs.org/)
2. Sapien Labs launches the Mental Health Million project – (https://sapienlabs.org/whats_new/sapien-labs-launches-the-mental-health-million-project/)
3. Coronavirus and mental health tips – (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/mental-health-tips)
4. Timing of State and Territorial COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders and Changes in Population Movement — United States, March 1–May 31, 2020 – (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6935a2.htm)

Source-Medindia