How are you coping in Covid’s war zone?

Hand it to human beings. We have repeatedly defied predictions that we will buckle under the extreme pressure of adverse events. Time and again, whether it was during the eight-month blitz in World War II, or after 9/11, people have proved remarkably resilient in the face of adversity.
Will it be the same with this pandemic? On aggregate, probably yes. Most people have experienced, or know someone who has experienced, mental stress as a result of pandemic-related circumstances. (Irritation, anxiety, helplessness, tiredness, sadness, burnout, trouble sleeping or difficulty concentrating — any of these sound familiar?) But once vaccinated and our lives are unlocked, most people will probably return to their individual baseline levels of happiness, even if there are new post-pandemic adjustments to be made.
And yet while different people experience the threat of the virus and repeated lockdowns differently, the mental health impact of the crisis for many cannot be ignored. The pandemic affects so many drivers of well-being — from social isolation to financial loss, housing insecurity, remote working and rising unemployment — while removing normal coping mechanisms.
Most recently, the spotlight has been on the huge pressure facing hospital staff. A study of 709 doctors, nurses and other clinical staff across six hospitals in England found that nearly half reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder in June and July. What they are experiencing is analogous to combatants in a war zone, researchers found. They face not only the relentless demands of their jobs — heightened because of a shortage of beds and nurses — but also the constant loss of life of those in their care. One in five ICU nurses reported thoughts of self-harm. Those are much higher rates than found among even UK military personnel who have been deployed.
Ami Jones, a doctor and an intensive care consultant with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, says she’s particularly worried about the nurses in their mid-20s who have a full career ahead of them. “If we damage them to the point that they don’t want to do ICU care anymore, who have we got in future to look after us?” she asked on Bloomberg Radio last week. “This could have a very long sting in the tail.”
What these medical workers face is extreme. But in some ways, the pandemic may be worse than warfare for many from a mental health perspective.
When UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson referred to Covid as an “invisible killer,” he inadvertently put his finger on an element of this crisis that makes it so hard on mental health. If this is war, we are deprived of one of its great salves — the comfort of the human touch and comaraderie.
—Bloomberg