Mental Morbidity Arising From Social Isolation During Covid-19 Outbreak
23 Jun 2020-Vol. 6, Iss: 2, pp 97-100
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the various form of psychosocial supports that can be given to those experiencing any form of social and emotional distancing during this COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Abstract: Mental health is the state of well-being in emotion, cognitive, and behavior which entails identification of oneÂs abilities, perceived self-efficacy, competence, capabilities to survive with challenges of life and add value to the society at large With the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak which from inception has infected millions of people Isolation and quarantine have been one of the major means of containing the spread of the virus whereby individuals tested positive or manifesting possible signs are kept in isolation centers or quarantined as the case may be Isolating people involves a lack of social interaction and emotional distancing among health care workers, patients, and their families which present challenges like stress, loneliness, depression, and fear of the unknown These if not immediately addressed can harm mental health The peculiarity of this COVID-19 isolation and social distancing is that its impact is not only limited to the affected patients but extends to their caregivers like health workers, security personnel among other first responders who are a result of their responsibilities have also been separated from their loved ones This work addresses the various form of psychosocial supports that can be given to those experiencing any form of social and emotional distancing during this COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
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TL;DR: Effective management guidelines for successful implementation of the social distancing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic are suggested by emphasizing the critical role of risk perception, perceived understanding, and safety climate.
Abstract: Social distancing is one of the most recommended policies worldwide to reduce diffusion risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a risk management perspective, this study explores the mechanism of the risk perception effect on social distancing in order to improve individual physical distancing behavior. The data for this study were collected from 317 Chinese residents in May 2020 using an internet-based survey. A structural equation model (SEM) and hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analyses were conducted to examine all the considered research hypotheses. The results show that risk perception significantly affects perceived understanding and social distancing behaviors in a positive way. Perceived understanding has a significant positive correlation with social distancing behaviors and plays a mediating role in the relationship between risk perception and social distancing behaviors. Furthermore, safety climate positively predicts social distancing behaviors but lessens the positive correlation between risk perception and social distancing. Hence, these findings suggest effective management guidelines for successful implementation of the social distancing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic by emphasizing the critical role of risk perception, perceived understanding, and safety climate.
106 citations
Cites background from "Mental Morbidity Arising From Socia..."
...For instance, anxiety associated with social distancing may have a long-term effect on mental health [28] and social inequality....
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01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: Safety procedures necessary for handling cadavers and its significances on the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread among medical students amidst the pandemic are highlighted.
Abstract: The novel COVID-19 pandemic has produced broad consequences on medical training globally. The resulting disturbances led to the shift from physical to virtual learning. A serious feature of medical training demanding pressing consideration is the avoidance of COVID-19 spread among medical students during cadaveric dissection. This can be attained by guaranteeing the protection of cadavers from COVID-19 afore been used for anatomical dissection. This article highlights the safety procedures necessary for handling cadavers and its significances on the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread among medical students amidst the pandemic.
4 citations
Cites background from "Mental Morbidity Arising From Socia..."
...This novel COVID-19 pandemic produced by SARS-CoV-2 has brought about huge effects on populations (12), socio-economic, and health care systems universally (13-16)....
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TL;DR: This study presents a preliminary validation of the fear of the COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) using a sub-Saharan African population from Nigeria and indicates that the two-factor structure of the FCV- 19S questionnaire was a better fit for the Nigerian subpopulation under consideration.
3 citations
TL;DR: In this article , a wake-up call on Africa and its educational sector to transit to online learning has been given by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic which emanated from Wuhan city, China and its successive spread across the globe.
Abstract: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic which emanated from Wuhan city, China and its successive spread across the globe has made a tremendous impact on virtually all spheres of human endeavors; ranging from economy, health, livelihood, and education amongst others. The widespread restrictions currently placed on movement and mass gatherings have made educational and academic activities to be grounded globally. In recent times, the concept of learning has gradually transitioned from traditional classroom methods to online learning where students acquire knowledge through “invisible classrooms”. Most institutions of learning in Africa may encounter difficulties in migrating to this new form of learning due to the lack of information and communications technology (ICT) facilities of international standards. As of today, many students possess internet-enabled devices, yet cannot access the internet as a result of unaffordable data subscription, which has made most learners result in using their devices for non-educational purposes. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the African continent, the possibility to re-open our schools remain bleak. Thus, government, authorities, and regulatory bodies in individual countries must improve on their existing ICT infrastructures for a better online learning experience. This paper serves as a wake-up call on Africa and its educational sector to transit to online learning.
TL;DR: It is concluded that misconceptions and fears regarding COVID-19 are common among PHC physicians in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, and fear amongPHC physicians is significantly and positively correlated with their misconceptions.
Abstract: This study aimed to identify primary care physicians’ misconceptions regarding COVID-19, and to assess their fear of COVID-19. Following an analytical cross-sectional study design in primary healthcare (PHC) centers in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, 515 PHC physicians were included. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. It included personal characteristics, misconceptions about COVID-19, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results showed that only 10.5% of PHC physicians did not have any misconceptions regarding COVID-19, while 53.6% had low misconceptions and 35.9% had high misconceptions. PHC physicians’ main sources of information about COVID-19 were the social media (58.1%), followed by the Internet (55.5%), and mass media (47%). More than half of primary care physicians (50.1%) had high grades of fear of COVID-19. PHC physicians’ misconceptions scores significantly and positively correlated with their COVID-19 fears scores (r=0.425, p<0.001). Differences in grades of misconceptions among PHC physicians differed significantly according to their nationality (p=0.003), but did not differ significantly according to any other personal characteristics. The youngest PHC physicians (aged <30 years) had significantly the highest grades of high fear of COVID-19 (58.4%, p<0.001). Female PHC physicians had significantly more high fear grade toward COVID-19 than males (56.6% and 47.2%, respectively, p=0.048). The study concluded that misconceptions and fears regarding COVID-19 are common among PHC physicians in Aseer Region. Social media is the main source of health information regarding COVID-19. Fear among PHC physicians is significantly and positively correlated with their misconceptions. Keywords: Misconceptions, Corona phobia, Fear of COVID-19, Primary healthcare, Saudi Arabia