COVID-19: Resources for psychological well-being
The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) may be stressful for people and communities. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. The emotional impact of an emergency on a person can depend on their experiences, social and economic circumstances and the availability of local resources. People can become more distressed if they see repeated images or hear repeated reports about the outbreak in the media.
People who may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis include:
- People who have preexisting mental health conditions including substance use;
- People who are helping with the response to COVID-19, like doctors, nurses, health care providers and first responders;
- Children.
Reactions during an infectious disease outbreak can include:
- Fear and worry about your own health status and that of your loved ones who may have been exposed to COVID-19;
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns;
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating;
- Worsening of chronic health problems;
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
In light of the potential impacts on psychological well-being, we've put together some resources below which you may find helpful at this time:
Guidance & Useful Articles
- Guide for keeping psychologically healthy during coronavirus (Mind).
- mentalhealthatwork.org.uk - support & resources for mental health in the workplace inc. a coronavirus toolkit.
- NHS guidance for mental well-being during coronavirus.
- GOV.UK - guidance on well-being and coronavirus with specific advice on autism, dementia, learning disabilities, older people, and mental health conditions.
- General information about mental health problems and self-care (Mind).
- Article about using social media to help you cope (British Psychological Society).
- Practical strategies, e.g. relaxation, for helping anxiety associated with coronavirus (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy).
- Article about how to help maintain happy family relationships during lock-down (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy).
- Publication about mental health considerations relating to coronavirus - for the general public and for health workers (World Health Organisation).
- Article about Addition Treatment during the Coronavirus period (Addition Resource)
For Children:
- Talking to children about coronavirus (British Psychological Society).
- Guide for young people about looking after your mental well-being during coronavirus (Young Minds).
- Tips and advice about where to get support for mental health during coronavirus (Young Minds).
- Supporting your child's mental health during coronavirus (Young Minds).
- Illustrated book explaining coronavirus to children.
- CAMHS Coronavirus Resources
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