COVID’s hidden third wave: understanding the mental health spike that is yet to come
Experts fear healthcare workers and young people will bear the brunt of a hidden third COVID wave - the spike in mental health cases set to come over the holiday period and new year.
Healthcare workers
A new survey of healthcare workers found 86% of respondents observed increased levels of stress in their colleagues. Three in four workers said their workload had excessively increased during the pandemic. “What we are seeing now is a shadow of the third wave of the pandemic,” Jason Ray, a Melbourne mental health clinician, told Nine newspapers on Sunday.
Young people
The number of people aged 17 or younger turning up in emergency rooms with stress, anxiety and other complex issues has grown by 25% in some areas of Australia over the past year. One recent survey, which has been tracking the mental health in a group of 2,000 Queenslanders since 2006, saw a sharp increase in mental health issues this year.
“Unprecedented” numbers of young people struggling with mental health are presenting to emergency rooms in Australia, according to Dr John Bonning, the president of the Australian College for Emergency Medicine. “Clearly significant social and economic pressure is being felt in our communities, and this often disproportionately affects already vulnerable members of our communities,” he told Guardian Australia on Sunday.
The worst is yet to come
Former Mental Health Commissioner Professor Ian Hickie warned last month the mental health peak won’t hit until mid-next year. “Unlike the virus, you don’t get sick in seven to 14 days. The factors accumulate.”
The best presents is presence
"Being mindful can be an effective way to cope with holiday stress. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, try to bring yourself back to where you are, slow your breathing down or try a progressive muscle relaxation exercise. Incorporating breathing and relaxation exercises, practising mindfulness or yoga are great coping strategies to manage emotions that may get stirred up around this time of year." - Beyond Blue, 'Coping with Christmas', 2020
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