3 ARTICLES REGARDING HOW THE COVID PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR STUDENTS
ARTICLE #1
TITLE
How O.C.D. and Hand-Washing and Coronavirus Collide
DESCRIPTION
This is a fascinating article that combines the issues of those suffering with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and the pandemic of coronavirus (covid-19). “The coronavirus outbreak has turned many of us into nervous germophobes, seeking to protect ourselves from infection by washing our hands methodically and frequently, avoiding unnecessary contact with so called high-touch surfaces and methodically sanitizing packages, our homes and our bodies.
For people diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or O.C.D., the worry created by the threat of coronavirus has the potential for more intense and longer-lasting implications.”
The article provides stories (cases) of those who have successfully been treated for OCD and their struggles with their issue in dealing with the coronavirus. The article explains what OCD is, the symptoms, and the usual treatments (Psychotherapy, Exposure Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT). The article also provides details about the the therapies are modified for the coronavirus. This article can be used in conjunction with the topics of Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Therapy.
SOURCE
New York Times, April 3, 2020, by Katherine Rosman
LINK TO RESOURCE
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/style/ocd-coronavirus-challenges.html?searchResultPosition=1
(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/y8jbe8dk
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ARTICLE #2
TITLE
How Patients With Eating Disorders Have Been Affected by the Pandemic
DESCRIPTION
This is a very interesting article about how the pandemic has affected individuals who have eating disorders — anorexia and bulimia.
“Scientists have found that since the start of the pandemic many people with anorexia have become more restricted, and many with binge eating disorder or bulimia, have had more binging episodes…. Doctors and psychologists consider eating disorders to be mental and physical illnesses. Experts say 20 million women and 10 million men living in the United States will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Eating disorders often go hand in hand with other mental health conditions. A 2014 study in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention found that 97 percent of 2400 people hospitalized for an eating disorder had other mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.” The article provides evidence regarding the process that has created major issues for those struggling with these disorders, and importantly, recommendations for dealing effectively with the problem.
SOURCE
SmithsonianMag.com, October 13, 2020, by Kate Mishkin
LINK TO RESOURCE
(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/y6bhu4aq
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ARTICLE #3
TITLE
Struggling to Focus? How to Improve Your Attention Span When ‘the World Is Sick’
DESCRIPTION
When you are doing your homework, reading, trying to concentrate, do you begin to lose focus? Do you struggle with getting started and find that you are procrastinating more and having trouble completing tasks? “Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are still learning to live with an ambient thrum of stress, anxiety, fear, grief and anger. For many people—especially those recovering from the virus or juggling work and child care—brain fog and inattention have been collateral damage. In a recent survey of 300 American workers, about 40% said they feel less productive than usual during the pandemic…. Todd Braver, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, says that’s completely normal. Lots of research has shown that concentration, memory and cognition suffer when people are under stress and anxiety, and that’s especially true when it builds for months, Braver says. The brain is good at responding to short bursts of stress, but it’s not as good at operating under constant, low-grade pressure.” The article nicely presents what is commonly happening over these months to our cognitive abilities due to the stressors. Wonderfully, the article offers concrete and easy solutions to deal with the problem of losing focus. This is a good article to understand health Psychology as well as our systems under stress.
SOURCE
Time, August 14, 2020, by Jamie Ducharme
LINK TO RESOURCE
(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/yxjjav8y
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• •Begin with the following:
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
What are the symptoms?
How are these symptoms tortuous to those who are diagnosed with OCD?
•How has the coronavirus pandemic caused the OCD sufferers to regress even though they might have been successful in their treatments?
•What are the two major eating disorders?
•How has the covid pandemic affected those with eating disorders?
•What are the cognitive functions discussed in the article that are affected by the stress of months of the pandemic?
•How does the stress affect the brain? (Specifically discuss issues around focus and cognition.) What is commonly reported as symptoms and loss of productivity?
•What are some self-help solutions to cope with the issues?
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