Pandemic reopening and economic stress causing mental health issues

Both employed and unemployed people can face stress as the economy picks up steam following the pandemic, said a Harvard researcher, indicating burnout is a risk for those working much as anxiety is for those without a job.

“Economic stressors, we know, impact mental health whether it’s losing income of some sort or losing your home,” said Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Koenen said for those who remain unemployed and face the end of extra unemployment benefits in September, there comes an increased risk of anxiety and depression that was also observed during the 2008 recession.

“There’s just such as direct link from the stress from losing your job that has all these downstream effects,” Koenen said during a Tuesday virtual briefing.

Massachusetts’ unemployment rate is down 0.2 percentage points at 6.8% as of March, and although many workplaces are now facing a labor shortage, some people are still without a job.

“Uncertainty and uncontrollability and threat, which we have all experienced with COVID, are really tough on mental health,” Koenen said.

Negative mental health impacts also come into play for workers who must now return to the office, or who face burnout from working through the pandemic with little to no time off.

Koenen said workers, particularly in the health care field, may be feeling unappreciated or betrayed by their employer. She said institutions should consider policies that allow employees to have adjusted schedules and leave time to recover from burnout.

In addition, leaders in the workplace shouldn’t sweep stressful pandemic-related experiences under the rug. Koenen said it is helpful for leaders to share what they went through, to make it more acceptable for workers to share as well.

“It really does help to have people who are in influential positions … talk about their struggles,” Koenen said.

In the social arena, returning to many aspects of normal life following some of the worst surges of the pandemic can bring on grief or sadness when activities don’t feel the same or bring the same level of enjoyment they did in the past.

Thinking of ways to socialize without getting overwhelmed is key, Koenen said. She recommended reducing baseline stress before attending an event that may induce anxiety.

For example, if you are nervous about going to a party, try to exercise earlier in the day to reduce stress, then only stay a short while and bring a friend with you.

“There things you can do to make these things less anxiety-provoking, so you can kind of just slowly reintegrate yourself,” Koenen said.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/35Z4jnN