How to Overcome the Psychological Effects of Quarantine [Infographic]

How to Manage the Psychological Effects of Quarantine How quarantine affects people and what we can do. By Gabriel Banschick The first confirmed case of coronavirus appeared in China on November 17, 2019. By the end of December, Chinese doctors were sounding the alarm on WeChat. Quarantine in Quarantine in China USA It took two months for the Chinese Center for By the end of January, the federal government Disease Control to acknowledge that the virus can be transmitted between humans. On January started imposing mandatory 14- day quarantines on people coming back from 22, the Chinese government finally declared a state of emergency China. People who came in contact with an infected person were required to stay in self- imposed quarantine. By January 28, the entire Hubei region was under As of March 17, The governor of California quarantine. imposed a state-wide lock-down. Psychology - Quarantine Consequences • A recent review of the psychological impact of quarantine reports that most studies of quarantined subjects observed effects such as confusion, anger, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, sometimes lasting even three years after the end of the quarantine. • A study from Canada examined the psychological effects of quarantine during the SARS outbreak of 2003. The median duration of quarantine was 10 days. • They found a high prevalence of psychological distress symptoms. Twenty-nine percent of participants reported symptoms traumatic stress and 31 percent of respondents reported symptoms of post- of depression. Being quarantined at home with other family members can be a blessing or a curse. It is an opportunity for families to come together and strengthen their bonds. But being constantly together involuntarily can put considerable stress on relationships. Small children may be overjoyed at the opportunity to be with mom and dad almost all the time; adolescents, on the other hand, may be less enthusiastic, and tensions can arise. The Mentally Vulnerable, the Elderly, the Hospitalized • People who are particularly vulnerable to suffering psychological distress during and after quarantine are those with a history of psychiatric illnesses. • If a person is already suffering from anxiety, the sense of helplessness and lack of control induced by a forced quarantine can only exacerbate the anxiety. • For people who are claustrophobic, being confined to a small space can be extremely stressful. People with suicidal ideation can be particularly at risk under these circumstances.Another vulnerable population is the elderly, who are confined to their homes or in facilities, where infection can spread easily if not prevented. • Because older people are more at risk for mortality, their quarantine must be more complete. And, since they are often dependent on others as it is, their increased helplessness can lead to elevated anxiety and depression. Also, people who are confined in hospitals, whether because of the coronavirus or for other reasons, can find themselves isolated from their family and friends when hospitals impose restrictions on visitors, which is already happening. Mitigating the Effects of Quarantine It is far better to get people to agree to This is an important Research shows that psychological concept. quarantine by convincing them and offering quarantine is better When faced with external tolerated and compliance pressures, the feeling of agency enables a person to information, than by improves when people get forcing them. That information about the increases their sense of feel more like nature of the disease and agency and reduces a survivor than like a victim the benefits of quarantine. helplessness as they -increasing their sense of become active participants control. in their circumstances. Mental health professionals, community and family members need to be aware of the challenges that isolation presents to the people under their care or those in the community and check on them often. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/202003/how-manage-the-psychological-effects-quarantine https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/So140673620304608 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5177805/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/04/health/federal-quarantine-what-it-means-coronavirus-trnd/index.html https://drsyrasderksen.com/blog