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Mental Health HomepageConditions LibraryConditions CategoryConditions CategoryCOVID-19 & Anxiety: Impact on Mental Health
Table of Contents:OverviewCOVID-19’s Impact on AnxietyHow to Cope with COVID-19 AnxietyWhen It’s Time to Seek Help
Anxiety DisorderRead Time: 5 Minutes
Published On: March 5, 2020
Reviewed On: March 5, 2020
Updated On: August 9, 2024
Overview
Updated 3/25/2022
The toll COVID-19 has taken on our collective mental health is staggering and unprecedented in our times. Despite signs of a sense of normalcy beginning to return, with mandates, lockdowns, and restrictions relaxing, the ultimate impact the pandemic has had on us will likely continue.
If you’re struggling with COVID anxiety and want to learn more about it as well aswhat causes anxiety, read on. We’re diving into anxiety after COVID and exploring when it might be time to get help.
COVID-19’s Impact on Anxiety
There’s no denying that COVID-19 has had a serious impact on mental health. Everything fromanxiety to stress and fear statisticsare showing an increase in prevalence and severity. What exactly do these anxiety symptoms stem from?
Researchershave determined that one response to the pandemic is now known as COVID anxiety syndrome (CAS), which could stem from:
Additionally, certain personality characteristics likely play a role in how much anxiety someone may experience in response to COVID-19. You may be experiencing COVID anxiety syndrome if you:
Fear of the virus
Fear is a normal, natural response to anything unexpected or shocking. It can actually be a good thing a lot of the time, as fear is a defense mechanism that dates back to primitive times. The emotion fear is, at the root, both an individual emotional as well as a biochemical response.
The pandemic has definitely been both unexpected and shocking. We fear what we don’t understand, and especially at the beginning of COVID-19, there was a lot that we didn’t know. We were learning about the virus in real-time, and everything from sanitizing groceries to being worried about contracting COVID-19 through the mail concerned millions of people across the globe.
Expert Insight
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-R), BC-TMHJill Daino
Increased anxiety through a pandemicAs cases grew month over month, surges took off and receded, and information was often conflicting, many people found their anxiety symptoms increased substantially as time stretched on.COVID-19 anxiety syndrome brought on a number of symptoms as people struggled to make sense of what the virus meant to them. Their increased anxiety caused many people to:Go to great lengths to avoid public places and develop social anxietyObsessively check themselves and loved ones for symptoms of the virusObsessively clean, sanitize, and otherwise attempt to avoid contact for contaminationSomeresearchis now even showing that CAS is predictive of a mental health condition like depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder which is more intense than general health anxiety.
Increased anxiety through a pandemic
As cases grew month over month, surges took off and receded, and information was often conflicting, many people found their anxiety symptoms increased substantially as time stretched on.
COVID-19 anxiety syndrome brought on a number of symptoms as people struggled to make sense of what the virus meant to them. Their increased anxiety caused many people to:
Someresearchis now even showing that CAS is predictive of a mental health condition like depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder which is more intense than general health anxiety.
Anxiety after contracting COVID-19Though research will definitely continue, even preliminary and earlyfindingsare linking anxiety after COVID to be fairly common — and it’s not just anxiety, either. Researchers are finding an increase in several mental health symptoms in those who’ve had the virus. Onestudyscreened for psychiatric symptoms one-month post-hospital treatment for COVID-19. The findings were pretty staggering:28% for PTSD31% for depression42% for anxiety20% for obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms40% for insomnia
Anxiety after contracting COVID-19
Though research will definitely continue, even preliminary and earlyfindingsare linking anxiety after COVID to be fairly common — and it’s not just anxiety, either. Researchers are finding an increase in several mental health symptoms in those who’ve had the virus. Onestudyscreened for psychiatric symptoms one-month post-hospital treatment for COVID-19. The findings were pretty staggering:
How to Cope with COVID-19 Anxiety
Go slow
Find positivity
There really is power in positivity. Surround yourself with like-minded people who embrace and can relate to how you’re feeling. Focus on the progress that’s been made in terms of the virus such as vaccine development, increased vaccination rates, knowledge about how the virus works, substantially decreased risk in certain places, and the development of effective and new ways to treat COVID.
Focus on what youcancontrol
A lot of people have found the most difficult part of COVID is all the things that are out of their control. If this describes you, focusing on the things youcancontrol might be helpful.
Continue to sanitize and wash your hands
Simple as it sounds, it works! Washing your hands and sanitizing often can help you develop an increased sense of control. You’re doing what you can to prevent infection and keep yourself and others safe.
Be mindful of what you’re consuming
We’re not talking about what you’re eating and drinking here! Social media, news outlets, and online forums can be useful a lot of the time, but there’s something to be said for avoiding “going down the rabbit hole.” Digest what you can, but focus on reliable and positive sources of COVID news…and take a break from the information when you need it.
Talk about how you’re feeling
Whether it’s with a friend, a family member, or a therapist, talking about how your anxiety is impacting your life can be helpful. Support is critical in reducingsymptoms of anxietyand helpful when you are managing stress or anxious feelings.
Make time for self-care
Self-carehas never been more important than it is right now. Take the time to meditate, journal, do yoga, take a workout class, go for a walk, read a book, spend time with friends and family. Do whatever it is you need to take care of yourself.
When It’s Time to Seek HelpAnxiety can quickly become severe enough that it starts to interfere in your life, often to the point where you might need to consider getting help or looking into mental health services. This is true with COVID anxiety, too. If you think your anxiety is worsening, or that you might have COVID anxiety syndrome, get help withonline therapyor in-person therapy. Managing stress and your anxiety symptoms can prevent things from getting worse. Therapy for anxiety includes techniques likecognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) that have been found hugely beneficial in treating anxiety disorders of all types. You don’t have to live life with your mental health condition controlling you.
When It’s Time to Seek Help
Anxiety can quickly become severe enough that it starts to interfere in your life, often to the point where you might need to consider getting help or looking into mental health services. This is true with COVID anxiety, too. If you think your anxiety is worsening, or that you might have COVID anxiety syndrome, get help withonline therapyor in-person therapy. Managing stress and your anxiety symptoms can prevent things from getting worse. Therapy for anxiety includes techniques likecognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) that have been found hugely beneficial in treating anxiety disorders of all types. You don’t have to live life with your mental health condition controlling you.
See ReferencesThe COVID-19 anxiety syndrome scale: Development and psychometric propertiesNikčević, Ana V, and Marcantonio M Spada. Psychiatry research vol. 292 (2020): 113322. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113322. Accessed February 18, 2022.Do you have covid anxiety syndrome?Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital. (2021, October 14). Accessed March 21, 2022.The impact of believing you have had COVID-19 on self-reported behaviour: Cross-sectional surveySmith, Louise E et al. PloS one vol. 15,11 e0240399. 4 Nov. 2020, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240399. Accessed February 18, 2022.Anxiety and depression symptoms after COVID-19 infection: results from the COVID Symptom Study appKlaser, Kerstin et al. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry vol. 92,12 (2021): 1254-1258. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2021-327565. Accessed February 18, 2022.Anxiety and depression in COVID-19 survivors: Role of inflammatory and clinical predictorsMazza, Mario Gennaro et al. Brain, behavior, and immunity vol. 89 (2020): 594-600. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.07.037. Accessed February 18, 2022.
See References
Nikčević, Ana V, and Marcantonio M Spada. Psychiatry research vol. 292 (2020): 113322. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113322. Accessed February 18, 2022.
Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital. (2021, October 14). Accessed March 21, 2022.
Smith, Louise E et al. PloS one vol. 15,11 e0240399. 4 Nov. 2020, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240399. Accessed February 18, 2022.
Klaser, Kerstin et al. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry vol. 92,12 (2021): 1254-1258. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2021-327565. Accessed February 18, 2022.
Mazza, Mario Gennaro et al. Brain, behavior, and immunity vol. 89 (2020): 594-600. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.07.037. Accessed February 18, 2022.
Jill DainoJill E. Daino, LCSW-R, BC-TMH, is a clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and program director. She works to support quality clinical care at Talkspace. Her work as a clinician and trainer focuses on the mental health impact of body image concerns and eating disorders across the lifespan.
Jill E. Daino, LCSW-R, BC-TMH, is a clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and program director. She works to support quality clinical care at Talkspace. Her work as a clinician and trainer focuses on the mental health impact of body image concerns and eating disorders across the lifespan.
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