MENTAL HEALTH - People are returning to the workplace and classroom (or are planning to) as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. For some, anticipating a return to normal has become a source of stress, but understanding signs of stress can help people manage the condition and such transitions.
Returning to “Normal” Guide Mental Health, Post-COVID
A lot has changed since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus-caused COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then COVID-19 has killed millions and sickened hundreds of millions around the world.
Lockdowns and safety measures have kept many of us out of the workplace or classroom for months or longer. That’s affected our mental health. For some, the isolation has fueled anxiety and depression. For others, the prospect of returning to the workplace is a major source of stress.
Americans started receiving COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, with the most shots being administered in April 2021. As variants of the coronavirus have been emerging, hundreds of millions of vaccines have been administered throughout the United States and around the world.
Since the vaccines have appeared to reduce cases and deaths, life has in some respects and in some places has begun to return to normal.
Except where it hasn’t.
Mental Health
The pandemic has not only affected our physical health but our mental health, too. Throughout COVID-19 people struggled (and continue to struggle) with uncertainty, isolation, and grief.
One survey looked at the mental health of full-time American workers in the first months of the pandemic. Among its findings: the pandemic was not good for mental well-being. Before COVID-19, 39 percent of workers reported mental health issues. After the coronavirus hit, that number climbed to 46 percent.
More than half (55 percent) of respondents said since the pandemic started, their mental health problems have interfered with their work.
Mental health issues can lead to other problems, including co-occurring disorders, such as when mental illness and addiction coexist. Left untreated, such disorders can result in many long-term health problems, risky behaviors, and reduced work quality.
Struggling Day to Day
Addiction and substance use problems did not dwindle, either.
Drug overdose deaths were on the rise even in 2019, but they climbed considerably in 2020, particularly during the early months of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fear and despair may be factors, but since many treatments and support options were closed, limited, or moved online, that led some to relapse.
Nationwide alcohol sales also accelerated, by 54 percent in the early weeks of lockdowns. Alcohol consumption went up, too, by 14 percent from 2019 to 2020. The frequency of use also rose. Other findings include:
One in 10 missed work or were less productive due to addiction or substance abuse.
36% of those struggling with substance abuse said it’s hurt their work even more since COVID-19.
One-third said that a significant portion of their workday suffers when they also are grappling with mental health or substance abuse problems.
Working from home is leading to other issues as well. Not everyone’s work-from-home stations are ergonomically sound. That can contribute to neck, shoulder, and back pain, leading to reduced efficiency, increases in sick days, worsening mood disorders, and dependence on pain medications.
For anyone struggling with mental health issues, be it anxiety, depression, or thoughts of self-harm, there are many ways a person can find help.
Calling a health care provider can be one way. So can reaching out to your primary care physician. If those aren’t options, below is a sampling of resources for finding help:
Some employers have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), too, which offer things such as free assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and more for workers struggling with personal or work-linked problems. Human resources departments often have information on EAPs.
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