This presentation provides information on the psychological consequences of COVID-19 quarantine: why quarantine is needed, how it affects human psychology and how to prevent such consequences.
2. SUMMARY
Quarantining yourself at home can play an important role in preventing the spread of
infectious diseases. But this doesn’t mean that coping with the disruption in your normal
routine is easy. Taking care of your mental health is essential, even if your time in
quarantine is relatively brief in the grand scheme of things.
The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has led people to engage in social
distancing as a critical way to help “flatten the curve,” or
contain the spread of the illness to help keep infection rates
as low as possible. Quarantine is recommended in cases
where a person has been exposed or potentially exposed
to others with coronavirus (COVID-19).
3. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) defines quarantine as
separating and restricting the movement of
people who have been exposed to a
contagious disease to see if they then
become ill.Because some diseases can be
contagious even if people do not yet have
symptoms, this step minimizes the spread of
the illness during the asymptomatic period.
HOW QUARANTINE AFFECTS MENTAL
HEALTH
4. A 2019 review in The Lancet analyzed the results of past studies
to get a better idea of how COVID-19 may impact those who are
quarantined.The review found that psychological distress is
common both during and after periods of quarantine. People
commonly experienced:
POSSIBLE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECT OF
CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINES
• Fear
• Sadness
• Numbness
• Insomnia
• Confusion
• Anger
• Post-traumatic stress symptoms
• Depressive symptoms
• Low mood
• Stress
• Emotional disturbance
• Irritability
• Emotional exhaustion
There is some evidence that there may be
longer-term consequences as well. Substance
and alcohol dependency was more common
up to three years after quarantine.
While individual reactions to self-imposed or
mandated isolation will vary, you may be likely
to have feelings of loneliness, sadness, fear,
anxiety, and stress. Such feelings are normal
given the circumstances. However, there are
steps you can take to protect your mental
health and well-being while coping with a
quarantine.
5. FACTORS AFFECTING OVERCOMING
QUARANTINE
It is important to remember that everyone copes with stress differently. Some people
may be better able to weather a quarantine for a wide variety of reasons including
factors such as resilience and overall personality.
6. Previously existing mental health
conditions, including depressive
and anxiety disorders, can also
impact an individual’s ability to
cope.
FACTORS AFFECTING OVERCOMING
QUARANTINE: YOUR CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH
7. If you tend to be fairly resilient
in the face of stress, you may
have coping skills that will allow you to
manage being quarantined without any
negative effects.
FACTORS AFFECTING OVERCOMING
QUARANTINE: HOW YOU DEAL WITH STRESS
8. Personality differences might have
an effect on how you cope.
Extroverts, for example, may
struggle more with the feelings of
loneliness that isolation brings.
Extroversion is characterized by a
high need for social interaction.
Extroverts may experience more
loneliness or find staying home
more difficult.
FACTORS AFFECTING OVERCOMING
QUARANTINE: YOUR PERSONALITY
9. The duration of quarantine is a key factor in
determining how well people cope. Research
suggests that minimizing the length of
quarantine can help. The longer restrictions
last, the more pronounced the effects are.
While there may be a minimum time period
required in order to mitigate potential disease
spread, such as the recommended 14-day self-
isolation to minimize the risk of spreading
coronavirus, prolonging quarantine beyond the
recommended time may cause greater
detriments to mental well-being.
FACTORS AFFECTING OVERCOMING
QUARANTINE: HOW LONG YOU ARE IN ISOLATION
10. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE.
Researchers suggest that
there are steps that may help
mitigate some of the negative
mental health effects of
quarantine.
11. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: ESTABLISH ROUTINES.
The disruption in your normal daily routines can be
one of the most difficult aspects of quarantine. This
can leave you feeling directionless as you try to figure
out how to fill all the hours of the day.
If you’re working from home, it can be helpful to
structure your time much like a regular workday. This
can be a challenge, however, if you're at home with
other family members, including children, who are
now home all day as well. Left without the structure of
a normal school day, kids can be left feeling just as
out-of-sorts as adults.
12. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: BE AS ACTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
Even relatively short
periods of physical
inactivity can have an
impact on your health,
both mentally and
physically. One study
found that just two weeks
of inactivity could lead to
reductions in muscle mass
and metabolic effects.
At-Home Workout Ideas
You don't need a bunch of
expensive workout
equipment to get a good
workout. Here are just a
few things you can do to
stay in shape at home:
• Exercise videos;
• Bodyweight exercises;
• Online workouts;
• Fitness apps.
13. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: COMBAT FRUSTRATION AND
BOREDOM.
Some of the distress of being quarantined stems from boredom and frustration.
Finding ways to stay occupied is important, so try to maintain as many of your
routines as you can. Keep working on projects or find new activities to fill your time,
whether it’s organizing your closet or trying out a new creative hobby.
Getting things done can provide a sense of purpose and competency. It gives you
something to work towards and something to look forward to each day. So make a
plan, list some things you’d like to accomplish, and then start checking a few things
off your list each day.
14. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: COMMUNICATE.
Staying in contact with other people not only staves off boredom,
but it is also critical for minimizing the sense of isolation.Stay in
touch with friends and family by phone and text. Reach out to
others on social media. If possible, join a support group or
discussion board specifically for people who are in quarantine.
Talking to others who are going through the same thing can
provide a sense of community and empowerment.
Ideas for Staying Connected:
• Eat regular meals with others in the
home;
• Check-in with friends and family each
day by phone;
• Use different forms of communication
including phone, text, email, messaging,
and videocall;
• Try supporting others; reassure a friend
who feeling stressed out or worried;
• Use social networks such as Twitter and
Discord to stay connected to others.
15. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: STAY INFORMED, BUT NOT
OVERWHELMED.
People tend to experience greater anxiety when they feel
like they don’t have access to the information that they
need. On the other hand, however, is the sense of panic
that can stem from being immersed 24/7 in reports that
focus on inaccurate or overly negative information. Rather
than spend your time watching cable news, focus on
getting helpful information from trusted sources. Sources
such as the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World
Health Organization (WHO), state and local
health departments, and your doctor can all be helpful.
16. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: REMEMBER THAT KIDS ARE
STRESSED TOO.
Research has found that children who had been through
quarantine had exhibited PTSD symptoms at four times
the rate of children who had not been quarantined.
The CDC recommends that parents and other adults talk
to children about the COVID-19 outbreak in a way that is
informative, age-appropriate, and reassuring.Focus on
maintaining a sense of structure at home and model
healthy, positive behaviors. Managing your own anxiety
can help calm the fears of children in your home.
17. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: REMEMBER WHY YOU'RE DOING
THIS.
When you are feeling frustrated or cooped up,
it can be helpful to think about the reasons
why you are quarantining yourself. If you have
been potentially exposed to coronavirus,
avoiding others is an altruistic action. You
minimize the chance that you might
unknowingly spread the illness to other
people, even if you are currently
asymptomatic.
18. THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HANDLE
QUARANTINE: REMEMBER WHY YOU'RE DOING
THIS.
When you are feeling frustrated or cooped
up, it can be helpful to think about the
reasons why you are quarantining yourself.
If you have been potentially exposed to
coronavirus, avoiding others is an altruistic
action. You minimize the chance that you
might unknowingly spread the illness to
other people, even if you are currently
asymptomatic.
Flattening the Curve
Slowing the spread of the illness helps keep the number
of sick people at a level that hospitals are able to treat. If
infection rates spike abruptly as the disease spreads,
hospitals and health care workers can be overwhelmed
and unable to adequately treat everyone.
19. TRUST ONLY RELIABLE SOURCES AND DO NOT FOLLOW THE
PANIC. TAKE A PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, THE MAIN THING IS TO
STAY AT HOME AND WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN AND CORRECTLY.
