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Spencer Dalley
Introduction
Most everyone across the globe has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way, but what many people might have overlooked about the pandemic is its impact on mental health. Self-isolation due to COVID-19 has had a tremendous negative impact on the overall mental health of societies around the world. It can be concluded that depression and suicide rates have increased since the start of the pandemic due to factors like self-isolation, job loss and fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
Connection to STS Theory
The increased rates of depression and suicide due to the COVID-19 pandemic are closely related to the Social Constructivism Theory, which describes the shared meanings formed among populations due to inter-personal experiences and interactions that lead to common norms. These norms are constantly changing with society, and in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic has narrowed the world’s focus to containing the virus and protecting those who are vulnerable and sick. This induces isolation protocols, layoffs, and anxiety resulting in a greater number of mental health issues and a lack of attention to the people with these issues. As the pandemic heightens, the dangers of suicide and depression are also at their peak, and increasing awareness is the first step to solving the problem.
The Increase of Depression Rates & Feelings of Anxiety
It’s important to recognize how self-isolation due to COVID-19 has affected depression rates. Sustained self-isolation typically takes a serious toll on wellbeing after some time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many people have had to self-isolate in efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. Self-isolation and feelings of loneliness, sadness and depression often go hand in hand. To demonstrate this we can look at the data from KFF.org as it relates to people experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression (Koma, et al., 2020). In May 2020 it was reported that 34.5% of adults in the U.S. experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression (Panchal, 2021). That number increased to 40.1% of people in the month of July and remained constant at slightly above 40% all the way into January 2021 (Panchal, 2021). From what the data shows we can conclude that self-isolation due to COVID-19 has increased the number of peoples reporting that they’re experiencing symptoms of depression. This is very concerning in consideration of how much more we know about chronic depression now and how detrimental it often is to overall mental and physical wellbeing.
Voices from Clemson Undergraduate Students
To add to the evidence shown I can testify as to how COVID-19 has affected me personally. When we were under lockdown during April I was essentially stuck inside my house for around two months. Going to the gym and going out to eat with my family were two activities I really enjoyed doing when home from college. Those freedoms were routinely important in keeping me sane and happy. after most all non-essential businesses closed due to the pandemic I had no access to the gym or to places to places I usually socialize. I felt somewhat hopeless and experienced anxiety from being isolated for such an extended periods throughout the lockdown. Most of my anxiety came from feelings of uncertainty and thoughts like “When will this ever end?” Not knowing the answer to that question made me lose hope at times.
The Increase of Suicide Rates
Furthermore, we should examine how self-isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has affected suicide rates in our society. Coinciding with the rise of depression rates due to COVID-19 suicide rates also rose. It makes sense that both depression and suicide rates have rose in correlation with periods of sustained self-isolation. It is evident that suicide rates have increased
since the beginning of the pandemic. Quoting Rebecca Dolgin “We’ve already seen a steady rise in deaths by suicide over the past two decades and a new report by The Well Being Trust released last month found that 75,000 additional people could die from what they called “deaths of despair,” (which include suicide and substance use) because of Covid-19” (Dolgin, 2020). This demonstrates that self-isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has likely had an obvious and disastrous impact on the overall mental health of our society today.
Self-isolation & Job Loss
So now that we see that self-isolation due to COVID-19 has clearly caused a negative impact on the mental health of society, another question could be in play: Why has self-isolation had this effect on suicide and depression rates? Well, to answer that, we will
have to take a deeper dive into what is really going on in society as it relates to the pandemic. People are losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic and a change to the way society is behaving as a whole add onto the stress and loneliness of being isolated and withdrawn from society. As explained by Dolgin in her article “The Impact of COVID-19 on Suicide Rates,” she elaborates, “The research has been clear on this one for years: isolation and loneliness is bad for our health—both physical and mental” (Dolgin, 2020.) The fear of going out and contracting the virus can also cause large amounts of anxiety and depression in itself. Monahan states in her article, “They’re afraid to go out or can’t go out, they stay indoors, they get more anxious, and things get worse and worse, and then they could end up with mental health challenges that for some, would far exceed the consequences of catching the coronavirus” (Monahan, 2020.) Overall, fear and uncertainty have certainly come into play in contributing towards an overall negative impact on society’s mental health.
Clemson’s Response: Psychological Impact on Students
A study conducted by assistant professor Matthew Browning of Clemson University, along with several others, collected data regarding the psychological impact of COVID-19 on students at seven different universities, including Clemson. These researchers found that 45% of the students were at high risk for psychological impact and 40% were at moderate risk from the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown until the end of the Spring 2020 semester (Browning et al., 2021). In some cases, they found that the high-risk cases were linked to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (Browning et al., 2021).
The Conclusion
In conclusion, self-isolation due to COVID-19 has been detrimental on our mental health as a collective society. Depression rates have increased, as have suicide rates, and the feelings of fear and uncertainty have been harmful in impacting the mental health and wellbeing of our society. The rise in depression and suicide rates can be attributed to higher rates of unemployment or job loss, strict self-isolation, and fear of catching the virus. To combat these issues we must find a way to maintain our social lives while still being safe. In trying to contain the COVID-19 virus it is important to make the wisest decisions from all possible angles. One important way in which we have successfully increased interpersonal interactions is through means of virtual communications utilizing modern societal enhancements to social aspects of life. Mental health needs to be a priority in society, though, especially during times like these that have relied so heavily on such modern distanced communications.
Supplemental Material
Video:
https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/05/13/college-students-depression-mental-health-covid-pandemic/
References
Browning, M., Larson, L., Sharaievska, I., Rigolon, A., McAnirlin, O., Mullenbach, L., . . . Alvarez, H. (2021, January 7). Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the United States. Retrieved April 18, 2021, from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0245327
Dolgin, R. (2020, August 13). The Impact Of Covid-19 On Suicide Rates. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.psycom.net/covid-19-suicide-rates
Koma, W., True, S. , Fuglesten Biniek, J, Cubanski, J., Orgera, K., and Garfield, R. (2020) One in Four Older Adults Report Anxiety or Depression Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Kaiser Family Foundation Website. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/one-in-four-older-adults-report-anxiety-or-depression-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic/
McAlpine, K.J. (2021, February 17) Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness Are Peaking in College Students. The Brink. Retrieved January 7,2022, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/depression-anxiety-loneliness-are-peaking-in-college-students/
Monahan, K. (2020, May 18). What quarantine and self-isolation is doing to your mental health. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/what-quarantine-and-self-isolation-is-doing-to-your-mental-health
Panchal, N., Kamal, R., Cox, C., and Garfield, R. (2020, August 21). The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from Kaiser Family Foundation Website. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/
Images
Image 1: “Self-isolate” is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Image 2: “Coronavirus” by Engin_Akyurt is licensed under CC BY 4.0