25 April 2020 | New Scientist | 43liberty, whereas voluntary quarantine is much
less problematic. So appealing to altruism by
reminding people of the benefits to wider
society can help. We also need access to basic
supplies, we need to be able to communicate
with others and have access to activities to
keep us occupied, and we need to feel that we
aren’t going to be financially incapacitated.
And the quarantine should be as short as
possible and for a fixed time. “We found that
extending the period of quarantine once it has
already been set is particularly detrimental to
mental health,” says Greenberg.
Loneliness will play a part for many
during this time, but not necessarily in the
way we might assume, says Farhana Mann,
a psychiatrist at University College London.
It is important to understand the distinction
between isolation and loneliness. “Loneliness
is a subjective sense that your social needs are
not being met, while isolation is about being
physically separated from others,” she says.
“A person can be physically isolated and not
feel lonely, while another can be surrounded by
family but may feel lonely because of a lack of
meaningful connection. Both are important
considerations in this current crisis.”
A recent survey conducted in the US by the
American Enterprise Institute think tank over
five days from 26 March found that 53 per cent
of people reported feeling lonely or isolated at
least once in the past week, and more than
one-third reported feeling this at least a few
times. As part of the Loneliness and Social
Isolation in Mental Health Network, Mann and
her colleagues are developing a study into the
impact of the covid-19 crisis on people with
mental health problems – and what measures
may prove beneficial. “Previous research
suggests that volunteering can help loneliness,
both for the person being supported and the
volunteer,” she says. “Volunteering to give
people a phone call or delivering medicines
safely could be ways to feel actively connected.”
Social media is helping many to stay in
touch with others while socially distancing,
but it can also be harmful, says Rina Dutta at
King’s College London, who researches social
media and smartphone use among young
people. Some may feel unable to stop looking
for the most current news. “Because it is 24/7,
it can become overwhelming, leading to
obsessional preoccupation and fixation, and
exclusion of other activities,” she says. This is
always a danger, she points out, “but when we
are not in a pandemic, we can encourage young
people to get a balance between screen time
and other activities such as seeing friends and
going to the cinema – now you can’t do those
Maintain regular rhythms:
wake up, eat and go to sleep
at the same time you normally
would. Find a project to keep
yourself going, whether that’s
work, learning something new
or reading Proust. Maintain
connections with others by
phone or online, and exercise
once a day, preferably in
green space, and always
while social distancing.
Richard Bentall, clinical psychologist,
University of Sheffield, UKLimit your exposure to media
stories about the pandemic –
especially those with experts’
views about what is going to
happen over the next three
months – because it can
cause anxiety.
Neil Greenberg, psychiatrist,
King’s College LondonThink about the things you
have done in the past that
have helped you to feel a sense
of calm and stability. For me,
it’s reading. That is something
I have always enjoyed, that I
haven’t often had time to do
and I’m able to make space
for now – in the silence of
being at home.
Aiysha Malik, clinical psychologist,
World Health OrganizationWhenever you’re on social
media, think of your own
and others’ mental health.
Think about why and how
you’re using it. Is it benefiting
you, someone else or is it
just mindless scrolling?
Be analytical and only share
something when you’ve
verified the source. Sharing
fake news is so disturbing,
it has a negative impact on all
of us, especially on those with
mental health problems.
Rina Dutta, psychiatrist,
King’s College Londonthings”. It is important to get creative, she says,
and find safe, alternative activities that can be
done at home, such as exercise or board games.
While this is undoubtedly a stressful and
upsetting time, that doesn’t necessarily mean
it will harm us psychologically, says Greenberg.
It is important to remember that “distress and
frustration are not mental health problems”,
but a normal, reasonable and necessary
emotional response to what is going on. Malik
agrees. “This is a normal response, but it being
normal doesn’t make it easy,” she says.THE STRAIN ON COUPLES,
FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE
In the first week of lockdown in the UK, couples
therapy charity Tavistock Relationships saw a
40 per cent increase in searches for its online
services compared with previous weeks.
To many people, it probably comes as little
surprise that the demands of social distancing
and lockdown amplify any problems in a
relationship, and create new strains –
especially when you add healthcare worries,
childcare pressures, financial uncertainty
and cramped living conditions to the mix.
Couples often seem to share their anxiety
through “unintended turn-taking”, says
Tavistock Relationships psychotherapist
Catriona Wrottesley. At a certain point, one
partner might feel highly anxious, while the
other feels calm, then they swap. “The anxiety
is held within the couple system, but doesn’t
necessarily lodge permanently with one
partner or the other,” she says. While this can
be helpful in some partnerships, in others it
can create conflict. “If a couple can’t manage
a difference in response to anxiety or risk
management, it can feel as if one is against
the other. One partner can feel that the other
doesn’t understand or care about them. That
seems to be very common.” She adds that
during a lockdown, when physical space is
limited, an internal sense of psychological
space can also feel restricted, and feelings of
claustrophobia can build greater pressure –
even for couples without children.
Having children was also associated with a
higher risk of anxiety and depression during
the first week of lockdown in Bentall’s UK study
(see “How we can all look after our mental
health”, left). And there are particular
characteristics of the covid-19 pandemic that
make it acutely problematic for families, says
Nicola Labuschagne, a clinical psychologist at
the Anna Freud National Centre for Children
and Families in London. “The coronavirus is an
invisible threat, which makes it that much >ADVICE FROM
THE EXPERTS