Coronavirus: Mental health ‘the second wave’

Due to the ongoing lockdown stages, people are forced to stay at home which they are not very used to. This has caused a rise in mental health cases since the beginning of the lockdown and is now seen by some as the “second wave”. Umamah Bakharia looks at the mental effects of Covid-19 by speaking to experts.

The novel Coronavirus has pressed pause on lives around the world. The isolation from interaction and uncertainty have influenced mental health cases in South Africa. 

While the whole population suffers, the crisis has been difficult for students adapting to online learning; adults with children at home, making it difficult to juggle homeschooling, working remotely from home and running the household; and front-line health care workers who are risking their lives on a daily basis. 

According to the South African Federation for Mental Health, there are different types of mental illnesses which include anxiety disorders, bipolar and related disorders, depressive disorders, control and conduct disorders and various other disorders.

Due to the lockdown, there has been a rise in cases of these mental health disorders. 

General practitioner and training physiatrist Dr. Lamia Yusuf said, “I’ve witnessed first hand how this virus has affected people not only physically but mentally. I get the usual patients that are afraid that they might get the virus but this is usually curable with medication and reassurance.” She continued, “but with patients that are suffering mentally, we have to look at the underlying reasons behind it all for us to evaluate the patient in a proper manner.”

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has reported that since the lockdown has been implemented on 27 March, they have received over 600 calls a day, which doubled from March to April.

According to SADAG, many callers are dealing with a combination of issues, including the spread of the virus, finances, relationship problems, job security, grief, gender-based violence (GBV), and trauma. SADAG carried out an online survey during the lockdown in April asking South Africans what their main concerns were. The main challenges people reported included anxiety and panic, financial stress and pressure, depression, poor family relations, feelings of suicide, and substance abuse.

SADAG’s operational director, Cassey Chambers, explains: “The impact of mental health during Covid-19 has been a growing issue and concern, and SADAG has been monitoring call volumes on a daily basis. We do anticipate that, as the impact of Covid-19 worsens over the next couple of months [July to September], that the need for mental health support and help is going to increase drastically as well.”

Nashiya Zaman (23), a third-year law student from Vryheid, KZN, said, “It’s a challenging time, I feel anxious all the time while I’m doing my schoolwork because I am not comfortable with online learning. It’s been months now and I am still stuck at home and that thought of not going back to our lives on campus with physical interactions has become a nightmare to me.”

Yusuf said: “The best way that these type of mental health issues can be dealt with, is by accepting this virus as that will cause the anxieties and depressions to cease it, however, if the symptoms persist then it would be best to seek help because mental health is important for the full function of a body.”

North-West University has been active with its emergency mental health counseling services from April. An emergency NWU mental health consultant who preferred to not be named said, “The university cares about the students and they know that this has been a difficult time for them with a lot of uncertainties regarding their return, the continuation of the academic year and difficulties in adapting to online learning among other factors, have caused stress for students.”

“Students’ mental health is a priority for the NWU as this plays a role in the work performance,” she says.