COVID-19 and New Psycho-Social Issues

HEADLINES:

COVID-19 outbreak sets new challenges to psycho-social issues

WHY IN NEWS:

The COVID-19 pandemic is preparing us to adapt to a diverse way of living with positives and major negatives that directly or indirectly affect our mental states

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: 4 : Health:Diseases : Behavioural Patterns

LEARNING:

It is important to understand overall impact of COVID-19 on society as a whole . This is the time wherein we have to find multiple ways of defeating pandemic for our survival .

ISSUE:

The COVID-19 pandemic is preparing us to adapt to a diverse way of living with positives and major negatives that directly or indirectly affect our mental states

STUDIED BY

A recent study of the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
This was conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND HEALTH IMPACTS

Adults who suffered from chronic breathlessness.
Children who had acute respiratory conditions and
Women with gynaecological problems.

EMPLOYMENT SCENARIO

Around 27 per cent and 30 per cent of the households had no income during the lockdown.
Urban households (43 per cent) reported more loss of income compared to their rural counterparts (24 per cent).

There was a severe impact for households that relied on casual labour.

81 per cent in Odisha agreed some reduction in income.
The impact of the lockdown is above and beyond economic impacts.

SOCIETAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

These are a new instances most of us can relate to in this world of the ‘new normal’.
The lockdown intensified the number of those who became frustrated and depressed.

There is an upsurge in social issues, including psychological disorders, domestic violence, suicides, etc.

Children are getting depressed as well.

Depression affects 264 million people around the world due to no contact with their peer groups and minimal physical activities.

This pandemic is preparing us to adapt to a diverse way of living.

EFFECT ON MENTAL HEALTH

These include a risk of depression and anxiety.

Sense of detachment.
Loneliness.
Fear of losing our loved ones.
Stressing about our futures.

COVID-19: COMMON REACTIONS

As the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching implications continue to unfold globally .

It’s normal for people to experience a wide range of thoughts, feelings and reactions including:

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed
Anxiety, worry, or fear
Racing thoughts
Sadness, tearfulness, loss of interest in usual enjoyable activities
Physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, stomach upset, fatigue, or other uncomfortable sensations
Frustration, irritability, or anger
Restlessness or agitation
Feeling helpless
Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
Feeling disconnected from others
Apprehension about going to public spaces
Trouble relaxing

STRESS MANAGEMENT

India has a rich culture of living in a close-knitted environment.

This showed how stressed an individual can become from fewer social interactions.
The absence of opportunities for physical gatherings, to a large extent, causes depression in a certain set of people in society.
Stress is always a result of external repercussions and is presently coming from all directions.

IASbhai WINDUP:

Dealing with such hard-hitting conditions, it’s our human tendency to hunt for a support system.
Care and reliability from others

Especially in rural India, with its amalgamation of care and support from neighbours, who are treated as family adherents.

This season of insecurity has worried the populace economically, socially and psychologically.
There is an urgency to build a system of ‘living cooperation’ to overcome the increasing dread of social-distancing and isolation.

”The only feasible way of defeating the pandemic is containing and eradicating it for our survival.”

DISCOVER MORE : GS-4

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