Mental Health 

The new novel coronavirus has impacted the lives of many people negatively, especially their mental and physical wellbeing. Evidently, mental health issues are on the increase as cases increase in the country, further paralyzing the lives of Kenyans. The government measures to cushion the spread of COVID-19, which include school closure, banning social gatherings, and temporary unemployment, which has led to a long period of isolation.

The psychological impacts for many people include high levels of stress, fear, and anger, which may be a result of unplanned changes. For many people, fear has been triggered by the awareness by a low probability of survival. Many people are struggling with recurring questions on the situation, such as:

• Am I going to die?

• How are my friends and families?

• Will I get infected?

• What if I get infected?

The constraint of movement, coupled with the anxiety developed as a result of the situation, is causing mental strain.  The downside is that people may result in bad habits like alcoholism to numb their feelings. Unfortunately, without education on how to curb mental issues, people are likely to delve into a rabbit hole of misconstrued methods of dealing with issues. Addiction is a likely consequence of drug abuse, which may later evolve to weakening the immune system.

The possibility of mental disorders is heightened by feelings of helplessness, which are triggered by more problems. Complications like physical weaknesses, lack of economic power, and a weak support system would trigger psychological challenges.

Additionally, this disease is likely to considerably affect older adults and those with underlying health conditions such as lung, heart disease, or diabetes since their immune system may be compromised. People should embrace lifestyle changes that improve their metabolism and fitness towards fighting diseases. Lifestyle changes to consider are:

• Eating healthy meals and avoiding Junk foods as much as possible

• Having a working exercise routine

• Avoiding overworking

• Watching trusted news channels that provide updated news concerning coronavirus.

• Keeping up with friends and, family through telephone calls or online platforms

• Indulging in other hobbies

• Washing your hands and sanitizing regularly

By Arnold Munene

Are you interested to learn more on COVID-19 topics? The Youth Cafe has compiled a series of articles that give youth insights on COVID-19 myth, impact, and how to protect youths during the season. To explore more, visit our COVID-19 and Youths Page.