AMARI

AMARI: the African Mental Health Research Initiative

What's happening in AMARI?

COVID-19 Psychological effects

 
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By Debra Machando, AMARI PhD Fellow

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about fear, anxiety, depression and uncertainty due to the increasing infections and negative effects of the lockdown period. This is particularly worse for people in the health care service, in quarantine and lockdown period as they experience risk of infection, uncertainty, loss of income and potential abuse. People are also bombarded with COVID-19 related information, most of which is of a catastrophic nature. It is critical to equip large numbers of cadres to respond to the psychosocial needs of the nation at large.

Common responses towards the COVID pandemic:

  • Fear of losing livelihoods,

  • Not being able to work during isolation,  those working fear being dismissed from work

  • Falling ill and dying

  • Fear of being socially excluded

  • Fear of being placed in quarantine because of being associated with the suspected cases

  • Feeling powerless in protecting loved ones 

  • Fear of losing loved ones because of the virus

  • Fear of being separated from loved ones and caregivers due to quarantine regime

  • Separation of loved ones due to illness and quarantine

  • Loss of multiple members of a family, community

  • Loss of essential caregivers

  • Loss of breadwinners for families

  • Inability to mourn in traditional ways

How the COVID-19 worsens grief:

  • Inability to be near the sick person, or to care for them safely

  • Inability to mourn and bury dead in traditional ways

  • Families unable to wash the body, or to see and touch the loved one who has died

  • Stigma and isolation of survivors or family members

  • Site of death; COVID-19 isolation centre

  • Suffering when dying

  • Death or sickness of more than one family member

  • The survivor’s life situation at the time (financial and work pressures)

Common Grief and distress symptoms

Physical symptoms: 

  • Headache, shaking, tiredness, loss of appetite, aches and pains with no medical basis

  • Crying, sadness, depressed mood, wailing

  • Anger and irritability

  • Hopelessness and helplessness

  • Worry, insomnia

  • Grief and shame (for having survived, being unable to help others, for having infected loved ones)

  • Withdrawn from others, very still or silent

  • Confused or emotionally numb

  • Disoriented

  • Being unable to care for oneself

Impact of fear and rumours (The less information people have, the more rumours spread)

Fear and rumours:

  • Heightens isolation of people who are grieving and distressed

  • Worsen protection issues for the vulnerable (e.g., children)

  • May lead to violence as some people are blamed for causing or spreading the virus

  • Leads to unnecessary illness and death (rumours about fake, harmful treatments)

People at risk of stigma and discrimination:

  • Health workers

  • Body handlers

  • People who have recovered from COVID-19 and are believed to have immunity

  • People who test negative for corona and return home

  • Caregivers of loved ones with covid19

  • Children of caregivers who have died

  • Other vulnerable groups e.g living with GBV

Isolation and Loneliness:

  • In normal circumstances, these people receive comfort and care in their families and communities.

  • During corona outbreak, they may become isolated, lonely and unable to meet their needs

  • In worst case, they experience violence

 
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