The Emotional Pandemic

COVID-19 caused a mental health crisis unlike anything else in recent history. The huge amounts of fear, grief, loneliness, and burnout we felt became our new "normal". The emotional experiences we had were just as real and as challenging as the physical illness itself.

Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the Pandemic

This report by the CDC documented the high rise in challenges regarding mental health during the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic, touching on the increase in anxiety, depression, symptoms relating to trauma, the more common usage of substances, and suicidal ideations. After using the data provided from a national survey, it was shown that prolonged isolation, financial stress, health scares, and grief created such a large emotional strain on individuals in the United States. Young adults, caregivers, essential workers, and people who already had mental health conditions prior to the pandemic had typically faced the highest levels of distress. This felt like a more than appropriate source to include within the COVID-19 time capsule I'm building because it provides a clear representation of the "emotional pandemic" that was happening alongside physical health concerns.

Czeisler, M. É. (2020). Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation during the COVID-19 Pandemic. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(32), 1049–1057. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1

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Common Themes:

- Anxiety

- Depression

- Burnout

- Trauma

Statistics of Initial Panel Surveys (June 24-30, 2020)

Panel surveys were conducted amongst adults ages 18 and older across the U.S. during June 24-June 30, 2020, and these were the results:

- 40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition

- Within the 40.9% of respondents with mental or behavior health condition(s):

- 30.9% showed symptoms of an anxiety disorder or a depressive disorder

- 26.3% showed symptoms of a trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic

- 13.3% had started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19

- 10.7% of respondents reported having seriously considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey, which was a statistic that was significantly higher among respondents:

- ages 18 to 24 years old (25.5%)

- minority racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic [18.6%], non-Hispanic black [black] respondents [15.1%])

- self-reported unpaid caregivers for adults (30.7%)

- essential workers (21.7%)

Love and Loneliness in the Time of the Coronavirus

This photo essay by The Washington Post captures the emotional aspect of the early pandemic life through highlighting love and isolation during lockdown. Through these powerful images that were shared by nine international photographers, we're shown how physical social distancing had disrupted daily lives. Families were separated, cities were silent, and more, yet people also clung tight into their emotional bonds no matter what it took, whether it was through screens or from physically afar. The displayed photographs portray the universal feelings of solitude and connection, which demonstrates that even when real touch was impossible, love was stronger in more forms than one. This piece makes a beautiful artifact for this project through its visual representations of the weight we carried due to being confined and of the pandemic's impact it had on our mental well-beings.

Staff, W. P. (2020, April 2). Love and loneliness in the time of the coronavirus. Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/lifestyle/coronavirus-pandemic-love-photos-1/

Luisa Dorr. Bahia, Brazil.

"She came from Sao Paulo. He lived in Brasilia. Both left big-city lives to seek the quietness of rural life in Serra Grande. But even hundreds of miles from large centers of life, the coronavirus is altering their plans. Mariana Toledo Martins Soares and Alessandro Junqueira are both health workers who have had to deal with the impending threat of the coronavirus. Brazilian photographer Luisa Dorr followed the couple as they adjusted their daily lives to the virus’s invisible threat. “For us, it has been very heavy and at the same time an enriching experience,” Mariana told her. The 33-year-old mother of two is experiencing “a feeling of maximal connection with Alessandro and the girls and, at the same time, intense physical and mental exhaustion,” she said. Some of that stress come from knowing that her husband is running the risk of being exposed to the coronavirus as he continues to report to the Luis Eduardo Magalhaes clinic, which he leads. “When I saw Mariana and Alessandro going through the dilemma of having jobs that is based on risking their own lives for the good of others, I felt that I wanted to tell their stories,” Luisa said. “It’s not going to help me with the feeling of not being really useful in a moment like this one, but I think their deserve public recognition. Them and all of their colleagues around the world.”"

Liam Wong. Tokyo, Japan.

“After midnight, time and people move differently,” said Liam Wong, a photographer and video game designer. For several years, he has wandered the streets of Tokyo, capturing the essence of a city at night. “I often take the last train from Shinjuku to somewhere on the outskirts and take pictures as I make my way back home on foot.” But, over the past few months, Liam has noticed changes in the dynamic of the metropolis of 9 million people. “Areas that are typically crowded feel less alive, indicative of the effect the pandemic is having on tourism in the metropolis. The city feels lonely.” That loneliness is one shared by millions of people around the world, as cities have shut down and social interactions are kept at a minimum, becoming, at times, suspicious. And yet, in Tokyo, people try to go about their business as usual. “Offices remain open into the early hours,” Liam said. “Taxi drivers wait patiently for their next passenger. Couples take shelter under the same umbrella. The city is still in motion, and the spirit stays hopeful. For now.”