Common Ways COVID-19 Affects Mental Health

The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively affecting our mental health — causing widespread increases in stress, depression and anxiety. Light Lounge has identified some of the top stressors arising from this pandemic, and we hope that we can provide information and technology to improve your mood and mental health.

Common Ways that COVID-19 Affects Mental Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that a virus can do damage beyond just our bodies — fear of infection, stay-at-home orders and a new way of life are creating extreme mental tolls on our society¹. We have found some of the common stressors identified by researchers and clinics to help our readers understand some of the most common risks to mental health that the pandemic poses.

• Loneliness and Isolation: People who must stay at home are experiencing increased levels of depression and anxiety from loneliness and social isolation¹.
• Lose-Lose Situations: With national and state stay-at-home restrictions and a lack of health care infrastructure for many front line workers, people must often make choices between risking their health to make wages or staying at home with no pay¹. People feel guilt and regret no matter what decision they make, putting a huge mental burden on the working class¹.
• Crushed Expectations: The COVID-19 disrupted plans to go to school, travel, take new job opportunities, and visit family members¹. All of these cancelled plans can leave people crushed and depressed with nothing to look forward to in the foreseeable future¹.
• When Society Suffers, Mental Health Does Too: Researchers have found that mental health is affected by the state of the economy, job market, and turbulent political climate³. When COVID-19 disrupts how our society works, people are more likely to suffer from more stress, anxiety and depression².
• Overwhelmed Front-Line Workers:: Medical workers have experienced increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, as they are overworked and at a high risk of getting seriously ill from the very virus that they are fighting⁸.
• Children and Teens are Losing Crucial Life Experiences: Children, teenagers and young adults need social interaction to develop and thrive in the world⁵. Children are missing school and social activities, and are unable to develop and express themselves in the world⁵. Children and adolescents are experiencing more PTSD, stress, depression and are less able to focus on schoolwork⁵. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely affect children later in life no matter how they are experiencing the pandemic⁵.
• Parents are Overwhelmed: Parents with school-aged children at home must balance work with being a caregiver⁵. They must also take the place of teachers to oversee their children’s learning⁵. Children with learning disabilities or high energy can be challenging for parents to take care of alongside normal work activities⁵.
• Stress is Leading to More Thoughts on Self-harm, Suicide: The pandemic has corelated with higher rates of suicide among all people, pressuring everyone from front-line medical personell to stay-at-home remote workers⁹.

These common effects of the pandemic on affects mental health may seem overwhelming, but Light Therapy can help^2,,4,6,7. Light Therapy uses the power of photobiomodulation to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body^2,6,7. Photobiomodulation can reduce stress, improve mood and reduce feelings of depression^2,4,6,7. Whether your mental health is suffering from the pandemic or from other conditions, properly administered Light Therapy from Light Lounge may be able to help you feel better with no side-effects^2,4,6,7.

At Light Lounge, we recognize that mental health is a top priority in these uncertain times. Read our tips for handling stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow our blog to find the latest research on Light Therapy and check out our shop to find science-backed products that boost health.

Our team is always available to talk or discuss any worries that you may have listed in this article or otherwise. Do not hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter. We are all in this together!