Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Medicine hosted the program titled “The Impact of the Covid-19 Global Pandemic on Societal Mental Health,” which discussed the effects of the pandemic on society in general, including children, adults, the elderly, and healthcare workers. The guest of the program was NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Noyan. Noyan noted that symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder were observed in 96% of those who had contracted Covid-19.
“It is very important to inform the public accurately with clear data”
In the program held via Zoom, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Noyan gave important information about the impact of the pandemic on societal mental health. Noyan stated that as Üsküdar Üniversitesi, they developed a coronaphobia scale related to the pandemic, and this scale is a structured scale for phobic behaviors that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic; “We have demonstrated the validity and reliability of this scale, and it has started to be used in many studies. Because a behavior profile emerged that we needed to make decisions about. Some people started taking too many precautions due to the pandemic. As scientists, we need much clearer information. At the forefront of the lessons we and you will draw from this research is the importance of accurately informing the public through detailed research and clear data related to the pandemic.”
“The pandemic affects mental health and the heart”
Referring to the fact that 96% of those who contracted the Covid-19 pandemic showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, Noyan said; “Symptoms of coronaphobia include waking up at night thinking about the illness or its negative consequences, thinking about dying, sleep disturbance, and depression. If there is another underlying illness, the situation worsens. Especially among healthcare workers, depression, anxiety disorders, and deterioration in sleep quality can emerge. Women are individuals with weaker individual health or resilience. Individuals who have Covid in their close circle or family are more likely to experience psychiatric problems. We can say that the pandemic affects mental health, causing depression, and also affects the heart worldwide.”
“Uncertainty creates anxiety”
Noyan drew attention to the fact that uncertainty is the situation that creates anxiety in individuals; “Uncertainty causes a person to not feel secure or to feel threatened. In addition to the disease symptoms that emerge during this process, there are many people who carry the anxiety of ‘Will I catch the disease?’. At the same time, our confinement to homes isolated us; we became more withdrawn and started living in a more closed environment. This situation also led us to experience concentration disorders. The risk of disease transmission caused psychological distress in everyone. Studies have shown that women, children, healthcare workers, those in low socio-economic situations, and those in social isolation are more likely to suffer from psychological distress. Individuals have faced conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Control and awareness play a very important role in this situation. Those with sufficient medical resources, those who followed precautions, and those who received accurate information experienced the process more comfortably.”