As we are all too aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious negative impact on our collective mental health. Developing key strategies, such as yoga meditation, to prevent mental illnesses is extremely important for the well-being of people. A survey conducted during the last week of March 2020 showed that 72% of Americans felt that their lives were impacted by the outbreak, which was a 32% increase from the survey conducted only 2 weeks earlier.
The results show a positive correlation between COVID-19 infections/casualties and growing public concern. These observations suggest a possible increase in mental health illnesses in the United States as a consequence of the pandemic. In a review published in the past couple of weeks, the authors review a recently published model on COVID-19-related fear among the people. The fear of being infected or dying from the disease is one of the most significant causes of mental health disorders. Loss of employment or the fear of losing employment is another major concern leading to mental illnesses.
The authors discuss various strategies to overcome the mental health challenges associated with both the outbreak and response.
We are obviously particularly positive about the following findings:” Performing Yoga has been proven to be beneficial towards managing mental health. A previous study reported the effectiveness of managing trauma using yoga due to separate conditions, which included unprecedented natural disasters such as the Tsunami. The authors suggest practising yoga and meditation to manage mental health during the current COVID-19 crisis.”
The authors list the following disorders as being on the rise as an outcome of the pandemic: Eating disorders, Agoraphobia, Panic disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Phobic Disorder, PTSD, Substance Related Addiction Disorders, Illness Anxiety Disorders and Sleep Disorders.
We’ve been – and continue running – specialist training and courses in Yoga Therapy for almost all of the above disorders for Teachers and Therapists, and this review makes it clear that the need over the coming months, probably years ahead, will remain unprecedented for our generation.
The review also alludes to the impact of social isolation on mental health as well, something that we’ve been discussing and exploring in detail – in relation to yoga as a pro-social activity here at Minded – and also the importance of the ‘healthy Expression of Emotion” which is at the root of all therapeutic yoga practices. The authors note, “People are therefore deprived of their normal roles of caring for or being cared for by their significant others, which may lead to a sense of solitude. One way of preventing solitude is by developing a supportive network where people may share each other’s worries and discuss strategies. The authors suggest healthy expression of emotions and thoughts as a way of avoiding mental illnesses, as they should avoid suppression of sadness or anxiety during the current crisis period.”
