Why people need to take psychological therapies for better mental health after pandemic in U.S.?
Name: Samruddhi Ajay Raul.
Class: FY MBA HRM
Objectives:
1.To find out the need of therapy for better mental health after pandemic.
2. To find out the reasons of depression due to pandemic.
Introduction:
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the research found that more than 1 in 5 I U.S. adults reported probable depression in both spring 2020 and spring 2021. The article also found that financial assets helped reduce the persistence of symptoms – but only to a point.
Need of this Research:
The report said that they launched a national study in March 2020 measuring mental health and assets. COVID-19 was a national emergency, as deaths were on the rise. Schools, workplaces and government offices closed as Americans were urged to stay home. At that time, they found that 27.8% of U.S. adults in our study reported symptoms of depression, such as losing interest in activities or feeling down or hopeless. This number was over three times as high as the national pre-pandemic depression estimate of 8.5%.
The Effects of increase in the rate of Covid-19 cases:
Most striking to them were that a year into the pandemic, depression rates remained high, despite hopeful signs of reducing infections and deaths. In April 2021, people were lining up for COVID-19 vaccine shots, doctors were finding better COVID-19 treatments and efforts to reopen society were under way. But by that point, the share of adults in their survey reporting symptoms of depression had gone up to 32.8%. Worse yet, that higher 2021 number included 20.3% who had reported symptoms of depression both in April 2020 and in April 2021. This finding suggests that poor mental health driven by the pandemic was both prevalent and persistent.
Various aspects of life lead to depression:
They also wanted to know which assets – financial, physical and social – might be influencing people’s mental health during the pandemic. In their first survey, we found that people who came into the pandemic with relatively few assets – especially financial ones – were more likely to be affected by COVID-19-related stresses. In their April 2021 follow-up survey, we were interested in the relationship between mental health and asset status. We looked at financial assets such as personal savings, physical assets such as home ownership and social assets of education and marital status. They compared people who were similar in terms of marriage, education and home ownership. They found that people in households earning less than US$20,000 a year were 3.5 times as likely to report persistent depression symptoms as those making $75,000. They also found that people who had $5,000 or more in savings or a bank account reported less persistent depression. Having more assets, however, did not reduce the depression-inducing stress of losing a job, suffering relationship problems or experiencing financial difficulties during the pandemic.
Why it matters
Nearly 1 million U.S. lives have been lost to COVID-19, and there have been almost 5 million hospitalizations. But measuring the effect of the pandemic on the nation’s mental health is just beginning. And we believe the pandemic’s sustained impact on the nation’s mental health is unprecedented.
What’s next:
Our next move is to further examine areas of overlap between those who started the pandemic with fewer assets and those who suffered job losses, relationship problems or financial difficulties during the pandemic.
How can people protect each other from depression, anxiety and other mental issues?
People who have fewer assets are the ones most at risk of depression, especially depression that lasts over time with social upheaval. Assets can be a cushion, but even they did not protect people from the harmful effects of stressors brought on by the pandemic. The research shows that although the pandemic seems to be easing, Americans are still suffering. And they may continue to feel ill effects on their mental health for a long time to come.
Effects of the depression or mental health issues on the Workplaces:
COVID-19 has inflicted a serious mental health toll on many U.S. workers. Like other Americans, workers have lost loved ones, connections to friends and family, and the comforts of their daily social rhythms. The pandemic has also imposed a unique set of stresses on workers, including the risks of losing their job, rapid adjustments to working from home and additional workloads. And workers on the front line must face an increased risk of infection and increasingly aggressive customer interactions. As a result, many of these workers – especially those like nurses, doctors and teachers – are reporting elevated levels of anxiety, depression and sleeping problems. Americans are also drinking a lot more alcohol and overeating, and engaging in less physical activity. One-third of them have gained weight since the start of the pandemic.
The strategies to apply on work place to get over from mental health issue Partnering with mental health providers:
Many workers suffering as a result of the pandemic may not be exhibiting clear mental health problems. Rather, they could be experiencing a disruption in their personal lives that is bleeding into their work. An example of this might be an employee who spends a significant amount of time at work talking about a marital conflict that occurred during home quarantine, thus interfering with workplace productivity. In this case, a key mitigation strategy by a manager or colleague would be to refer that employee to a mental health provider or other supportive resource for help. In these cases, it’s useful to have an established partnership with a local provider and for employers to become familiar with the resources that are available.
Who will going to participate in these programmes:
Over half of civilian workers have access to an employee assistance program, which provides free, confidential counselling to employees. Some larger companies may have their own in-house programs that provide direct access to mental health providers. But even smaller companies can set up partnerships that give workers access to counselling on an ad hoc basis.
Preventing illness with wellness programs
Workplaces can also take a more proactive stance. Workplace wellness programs help prevent mental health problems by teaching employees’ new skills that support resiliency, which can act as a buffer from the negative effects of stress. Workplace wellness programs for mental health typically teach stress management skills. Programs that promote positive emotions may also improve productivity.
The Ideal Wellness Programs:
While these programs can have a meaningful, positive impact on health, employee participation is often limited. To increase participation, it is very important to include workers in decisions about which programs to adopt. Participation also improves when managers support the program, which typically requires managerial training on the program and how to promote it among workers.
Conclusion:
The hobbies or new developing skills in free time pandemic can help us to get rid of depression, anxiety or sudden panic attack. Even the different religious books like Holly bible, Bhagavat Geetha, Quran- E- Shareef etc. gives us motivation and spread positivity in our lives.
Even some funny videos, stand-ups etc. which are available online can help us to be happy and stress free.
References:
• Ettman, C., & Galea, S. (2022, Mar 25). Even after lockdowns eased, pandemic depression persisted across social classes – new study. The Conversation : Health Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/even-after-lockdowns-eased-pandemic-depression/docview/2643066146/se-2
• Haynes, P. L. (2022, Feb 07). 5 strategies employers can use to address workplace mental health issues. The Conversation : Economy + Business Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/5-strategies-employers-can-use-address-workplace/docview/2626094129/se-2