Coronavirus disease has been a matter of worldwide concern since 2019, and it affects people’s psychological states. COVID-19 is linked to constant quarantine measures in most countries due to the highly contagious nature and frequent disease complications that may result in death. Quarantines lead to economic and public insecurity, as well as rising public unrest. Pandemics and preventive measures against them induce anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Wang et al. conducted descriptive research concerning public psychological state changes in China because of COVID-19. Descriptive research outlines behaviors using such methods as observation, surveys, and case studies. Wang et al. (2021) distributed 605 questionaries related to psychological state to the public and then used retrieved data to statistically show a correlation between the pandemic and rising mental afflictions. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were applied to determine the severity of said afflictions. SAS and SDS show that people have physiological responses due to the pandemic: weakness, tiredness, headaches, sleep disruption, and constipation (Wang et al., 2021). Emotional responses include anxiety, depression, unhappiness, nervousness, irrational fear, and panic (Wang et al., 2021). The study is insightful for psychologists as it indicates that COVID-19 influences the mental states of the public and raises awareness of the necessity of mental health support during a pandemic.
In conclusion, Wang et al. clearly show how pandemics correlate to anxiety and depression. The questionnaire participants proved to have negative physiological, emotional, and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the study concerns China, its findings can be considered globally. Health authorities should create supportive programs for people suffering mentally from the pandemic. As COVID-19 is ongoing and there is no certainty when it will end, more psychological studies are needed to wholly assess the influence of pandemics on people’s mental health.
Reference
Wang, Y., Di, Y., Ye, J., & Wei, W. (2021). Study on the public psychological states and its related factors during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in some regions of China. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 26(1), 13-22. Web.