Pandemics, such as the 2003 SARS outbreak or Covid-19 which affected the whole world in 2020, wreck havoc with lives and livelihoods. In response, most of the attention becomes focused on those who contract the disease as well as the economic effects. The effects on mental health may not receive as much widespread attention, however they are likely to last well beyond the physical and economic toll.
There are many factors in a pandemic that contribute to its mental health ramifications. In the immediate, it threatens everyone with physical harm and leaves people without a sense of control over their safety. A pandemic also disrupts society at the same level as a terrorist attack or natural disaster, sending waves of anxiety through entire populations. That sense of anxiety is heightened as people live in quarantine arrangements, largely cut off from the community and social support networks which would otherwise help them cope.
Quarantine and social isolation is traumatic enough, however for many it is made even worse by being trapped in living arrangements with an abusive partner or parent. Financial distress and large-scale disasters are known to increase the rates of suicide and self-harm. The long-term economic effects of the coronavirus combined with a breakdown in a community’s ability to connect and respond resiliently may even increase rates of human trafficking.
Unsurprisingly, those hardest hit by the mental and emotional trauma of a pandemic are those personally impacted by death. This includes those who contract the disease and their family members as well as the front-line medical workers who deal with overwhelming caseloads and stressful, evolving work environments. Society owes a special debt of duty to care for the mental health of those doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical staff who risk their own well-being to look after the needs of others during a pandemic.
Research and experience tells us that those not directly affected by the illness could also face mental health challenges well after the pandemic has passed. People seriously affected financially as they lose jobs or retirement savings may face ongoing mental health effects. In places put under quarantine during the SARS outbreak, higher levels of depression and PTSD were reported. People who spend a lot of time absorbing traumatic news or social media may also be at a higher risk for later, ongoing mental health concerns.
Hope Roots offers training and resources in body-focused therapies for those who are supporting people affected by traumatic events. Click here to find training for yourself and to learn how you can provide resources to those responding in under-serviced communities. Or, click here to learn about our summer 2020 Henna for Hope Campaign.
1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-health/202003/mental-health-in-time-pandemic
2 https://www.nationalelfservice.net/mental-health/ptsd/covid-trauma-response/
3 https://polarisproject.org/blog/2020/04/covid-19-may-increase-human-trafficking-in-vulnerable-communities/
4 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-health/202003/mental-health-in-time-pandemic
“A traumatic event,” says Audi Kolber, “includes anything that overwhelms a person’s nervous system and ability to cope.”
Scary, dangerous, or shocking - traumatic events such as the experience of violence, serious accidents, illness, or natural disasters can challenge people’s coping skills and result in on-going physical, emotional, and mental health challenges. They are surprisingly common - with roughly 70% of American adults reporting they’ve experienced at least one traumatic event.
The trauma left behind by an overwhelming event remains in the body as “the residue of imprints left behind in people’s sensory and hormonal systems” . Trauma can occur in a single event, such as being held-up at knife point or being involved in a serious accident. It can also be the result of repeated events, such as sexual abuse or being in a war zone. This is sometimes referred to as chronic trauma.
Once someone has experienced a traumatic event, their reactions will vary in length and intensity. One person may show signs of trauma immediately while someone else might not show signs for weeks or even months after the event. Difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event, insomnia or sleep disruptions, and feelings of anxiety, sadness, or anger are all common and natural responses to a traumatic event. Physically, a person may feel as though they are unable to calm down. Generally, these responses decrease over time and do not continue to interfere with normal life.
However, sometimes people who’ve experienced trauma need extra support and help to deal with the effects of the event. The emotional responses might remain overwhelming or the person might begin to experience flashbacks, nightmares, and feel the need to avoid places or people tied to the traumatic memories. The person may feel physically “stuck” or frozen - as if the body is still responding to the past traumatic event. They may respond to new events as though the previous traumatic event is recurring. Responses to traumatic events sometimes serve to isolate the affected person which can interfere with their ability to access support and help.
Children often show different responses to trauma. Especially in young children, these can include losing the ability to speak, experiencing unusual distress when separated from a parent or other trusted adult, regression in the use of the toilet, and re-enacting the traumatic event in their play. Older children and teenagers may respond to trauma more like adults in addition to acting out with destructive or disrespectful behavior.
Not everyone who undergoes a traumatic experience will face on-going symptoms. However, people facing on-going stress or repeated trauma, someone with a mental health condition, or those who are isolated from a supportive network of family and friends are more likely to develop on-going or severe reactions to trauma. There is also some research that suggests there are genetic factors that influence how trauma affects an individual.
Trauma-informed yoga and other body-based practices provide a way for people to help their bodies move out of the response patterns that hold onto trauma. Through breathwork and mindful movement, people learn to sit with their body’s sensations - noticing that discomfort has an ending and that physical reaction can be calmed and controlled. Please visit our training page for information about trauma-informed retreats and workshops for you or your organization.
When someone needs extra support to cope with a traumatic event, it’s important they can find someone in their community who is knowledgeable, supportive, and sympathetic. Hope Roots provides training for professionals and non-professionals who serve as caregivers for those who’ve experienced trauma. Please consider donating to Hope Roots so we can continue to give scholarships and develop resources for caregivers. Visit our Projects page to learn more.
1 Kolber, Aundi. Try Softer
2 PTSD Statistics. PTSD United.
3 https://www.verywellmind.com/ptsd-causes-and-risk-factors-2797397
4 http://www.traumacenter.org/clients/MagInside.Su09.p12-13.pdf