A coronavirus infection manifests itself through physical symptoms - but the psyche also suffers. Could "Wuhan Syndrome" also affect us? A doctor says: yes.
- Strict exit restrictions since March 20 have more or less tied the German population to their own four walls - the government is encouraging people to leave the house only for urgent activities such as work or shopping.
- Not everyone has a house and garden: Not only small apartments, but also a lack of contact with others can hit the mind.
- A study from China shows that the lockdown of entire countries and cities has an enormous impact on the psyche.
Fear for their own health, that of their relatives, fear of the future because of the difficult economic situation, lack of routine and lack of social contacts *: The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are affecting many people enormously. The extension of the exit restrictions to May 3 for the time being is considered correct and important by most people in Germany - but the desire for normal to resume in everyday life is increasing for many. Because the longer the measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic - closed shops, visits, or daycare and school closures - the more the psyche suffers, as scientists have shown in studies.
"The corona crisis could also become a mental health crisis"
In a study published in the journal Jama, the authors concluded that the pandemic could result in a significant increase in anxiety, depression *, loneliness, domestic violence, and drug and drug abuse. Especially mentally ill people are at risk of developing more serious or further psychological problems due to the inevitable social isolation . According to the scientists, previous catastrophes such as the attack on the World Trade Center in New York have always been accompanied by an increase in depression, post-traumatic stress disorders and other mental illnesses.
"The corona crisis could also turn into a mental health crisis," quotes Spiegel Raffael Kalisch from the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research in Mainz: "We are dealing with an unknown threat: suddenly economic and medical factors converge there are people who will suffer material and psychological damage from the crisis, "said Kalisch. This can be caused by financial problems due to the loss of a job or short-time work.
Read also : Overcoming the crisis: therapist gives crucial advice on how to survive the coronavirus pandemic .
Anxiety through permanent isolation: Young people in particular are affected
Young people and healthcare workers, such as nurses, are particularly at risk of developing mental health problems such as depression or panic because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is confirmed by figures from China, which have seen an increase in mental illnesses since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jonas Tesarz, senior physician for general internal medicine and psychosomatics at Heidelberg University Hospital, speaks of the "Wuhan syndrome". In an interview with Focus Online, he says: " The term" Wuhan syndrome "refers to a cluster of psychological symptoms that can be observed in Wuhan as a result of the large-scale quarantine measures . First of all, there are fears, psychological stress * and exhaustion, Nervousness and frightfulness as well as the increase in sleep disorders. " Even the development of panic disorders could be traced back to the drastic quarantine measures. Tesarz also expects an increase in mental health problems in Germany, as he is quoted on Focus Online. Above all, mentally ill people are at risk - but mentally healthy people also run the risk of developing mental problems: "In the current crisis situation, there is a risk that individual coping options will no longer be sufficient and that fears will get out of control," warns Tesarz.
Read more : Constantly afraid of coronavirus? So you stop worrying too much.
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