For this paper I only need the following parts: Discussion of the Claims and Discussion of the Validity of the Claims. The introduction, methods, conclusion, etc. you don’t have to write. I will attach two articles that needed to be used. If you will have any questions please let me know.
Anxiety During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has significant effects on the psychological wellbeing of various people infected and affected. One of the most affected group is individuals with existing anxiety disorders. The epidemic has led to stringent mandated social restrictions to prevent the new coronavirus’ uncontrolled spread due to its highly infectious nature. The limits have a psychological and social impact on people with anxiety disorders due to their vulnerability to the effects of significant changes in their daily lives. Besides, the pandemic has created fears that are most likely to worsen anxiety among individuals with pre-existing anxiety disorders. For example, in the article, What coronavirus fears are doing to people with anxiety disorders by Berkowitz (2020), a veteran with anxiety related to combat experience revealed an increase in the negative dreams since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. People have expressed fears that the disease will infect them or their relatives.
Research involving individuals with anxiety disorder reveals their self-reported increase in anxiety symptoms since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures in place to curtail its spreading (Plunkett et al., 2020). In their semi-structured interviews at the Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services, the researchers revealed that out of the 30 participants,12 (40.0%) acknowledged that the restrictive measures have destructive effects on their anxiety symptoms. Although the number of participants who indicated the detrimental impact on their psychological and social health due to COVID-19 was minimal, the research reveals the COVID-19 restrictions create social impairments. Besides, the pandemic has left many Americans with adverse effects on their mental health due to underlying conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (Berkowitz, 2020). The adverse impact on mental health began once people heard that a new disease had emerged with the potential of an extensive infection rate.
People with anxiety disorders are mentally unstable, and significant changes in their lives can trigger or worsen anxiety symptoms. As a result, the COVID-19 outbreak created false alarms among the affected individuals due to the perceived threat to their health and wellbeing. Even for healthy individuals, the scary-sounding respiratory disease was alarming (Berkowitz, 2020). Besides the fear of being infected by the virus or having a relative get the virus, the pandemic led to significant social effects, such as social distancing, disruptions of daily routines, risk of domestic abuse, and a potential shortage of daily supplies, such as food and medicine (Plunkett et al., 2020). The changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic would be devastating for all people, and even worse among those with underlying mental conditions, such as anxiety disorders.
The understandable alarm could create significant challenges for the individuals and potentially worsen their level of anxiety. The claims that the COVID-19 pandemic would worsen the anxiety disorder rate in the United States are valid. Plunkett et al. (2020) provided evidence to prove that 40% of the participants reported increased anxiety symptoms since the COVID-19 outbreak. Besides the individuals who acknowledged that their symptoms have worsened, many might fail to self-report the extent of the impact on their mental health. Berkowitz (2020) provides case studies of people affected by the pandemic regarding their mental health outcomes. One example is the veteran who has experienced worse combat dreams since the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The second is the case of a girl who lives with the fear that her grandparents would be infected by the virus and die. Such cases prove the extent of the pandemic’s impact on people’s mental health, especially those suffering from various types of anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The stress of a new, highly infectious disease is a high anxiety level, even among healthy individuals. Therefore, clinical experts and psychologists support the claims that the stress would worsen among individuals with anxiety disorders (Berkowitz, 2020). They provide professional evidence to the argument that stress is a trigger or exacerbates the symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as PTSD. For instance, Ken Goodman (a therapist in California) suggested that “when people suffer with anxiety, it’s because they’re believing and focusing on the lies, distortions and exaggerations in their imagination” (Berkowitz, 2020). Imagination and the fear of disease are an essential factor in increasing anxiety symptoms among predisposed individuals. The endless reports of the COVID-19 pandemic worsen the situation for people with disorders. Interestingly, even the flu does not cause as much anxiety since it is not reported in the media.
Anxiety is a severe challenge during a pandemic, such as the COVID-19 outbreak. Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders are predisposed to heightened anxiety symptoms due to the fear of infection or the impact of the pandemic and related measures to curtail it, such as social isolation. Researchers and mental health experts provide evidence of the positive relationship between anxiety and epidemic. As a result, medical professionals and psychologists are likely to treat more people with anxiety attacks currently and in the future due to the epidemic.
References
Berkowitz, B. (2020). What coronavirus fears are doing to people with anxiety disorders. The Washington Post
Plunkett, R., Costello, S., McGovern, M., McDonald, C., & Hallahan, B. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with pre-existing anxiety disorders attending secondary care. Irish journal of psychological medicine, 1-9.
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