Coping with the mental health challenges of COVID-19
For millions of people, 2020 was a mentally and emotionally gruelling year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of US adults experienced mental or behavioural health challenges.
The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the percentage of US adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression tripled last year. Researchers in Europe and Asia found similar trends. The good news is that a number of highly effective COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, are being distributed in countries around the world the global economy is rebounding from the effects of the recession in 2020. That said, new coronavirus variants are emerging, causing case counts to remain high around the world. For many people, the pandemic-related stresses—fear of infection, social isolation, economic anxiety—have not subsided, leading many public health experts to warn that we are on the brink of a global mental health crisis.
Some populations may be feeling particularly stressed right now:
Caregivers
For many working parents and caregivers, the effects of the pandemic have been particularly challenging. With schools out and day care centres closed, parents with young children have had to manage the dual responsibilities of work and childcare. It was found in a 2020 study that working parents were losing two days of productivity a week due to stress and childcare. Furthermore, One in six employees are caring for older relatives, a responsibility that has become increasingly difficult for many to manage over the course of this prolonged pandemic. In one recent study, Mercer found that three out of ten working caregivers did not feel they were receiving the support they needed to manage their work and caregiving responsibilities.
Female managers
During the initial months of the pandemic, many business leaders and experts raised concerns about working women, calling attention to the extraordinary challenges many were facing. As Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg warned, “Homeschooling kids and caring for sick or elderly relatives during the pandemic is creating a ‘double-double shift.’ It’s pushing women to the breaking point.” In one longitudinal study of over 8,000 men and women working in a global organization, we found that female employees felt significantly more stressed, more time-constrained, and less supported than their male counterparts did. For women with managerial responsibilities, the situation was even worse: their stress levels were consistently the highest in the organization, and by a significant margin. As one female manager said, “We have too much work to do and not enough time and resources to get it done. That’s okay in short bursts, but it has felt relentless over the last nine months, especially during lockdown.”
Isolated individuals
For many employees, remote work has been one of the few silver linings of the pandemic. A growing body of research shows that remote work is associated with increased levels of employee engagement, commitment and performance. But for some, remote work has felt more lonesome than liberating. Researchers have found that high-intensity remote work arrangements (i.e., working exclusively outside the office) can cause a number of problems for employees, including social isolation, overwork, work-life imbalance and strained interpersonal relationships. Repeated lockdowns are causing loneliness levels to rise in many countries, particularly for those who are quarantining alone.
Younger and older employees
The pandemic is eliciting a wide range of fears and anxieties. Many younger employees are worried about the security of their jobs and the future of their careers. As one Gen Z employee stated during a virtual focus group, “I know our jobs are safe for the short-term, but it’s the long-term that concerns me. What can I do to ensure my job is safe?” Many baby boomers, on the other hand, are concerned about their physical health. As one employee said, “When we decide to return to the office, I would like the option to continue to work from home. My husband is very high-risk and I am concerned about bringing it home even after it is deemed safe.” Financial insecurity is also a source of anxiety, and with good reason. Researchers have found that when employees over age 50 lose their jobs, they are more likely to experience long-term joblessness than are younger age groups. Despite these challenges, it is worth noting that a series of new studies suggest that older employees—in comparison to their younger co-workers—may be more psychologically resilient and able to cope with the mental health challenges of the pandemic.
If you are one of the impacted groups in this article, please be aware that the newly revamped Wellbeing site (AXIS Point > Our People > Wellbeing) provides a range of support tools and resources for you and your family. It’s more important than ever to check in on one another and help your colleagues and peers through any troubles they might be experiencing as a result of COVID-19.