The Indonesian government has decided to start implementing a "new normal" in major cities including Jakarta to revive a struggling economy, although the number of positive cases of COVID-19 continues to rise every day.
As of June 24, the total number of positive cases reached about 49,000 cases with a daily increase in new cases in the past two weeks ranging from 900-1300 cases.
Not only in Indonesia, the majority of the world's population also faces similar problems. In uncertain situations and news about the COVID-19 pandemic that has not subsided, every minute of society is always bombarded with news and information about COVID-19 both on television, social media and the internet.
Such rapid changes due to quarantine policies, self-isolation, social distancing, and home activities and the unknown when the pandemic will end, can threaten physical and mental health. Many people experience sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, panic disorders and depressive disorders.
China's first nationally-scale survey of negative psychological stress from COVID-19, involving 52,730 respondents from 36 provinces, showed women (24.8%) were more stressed than men (21.4%). The number of stressed people aged 18-30 and over 60 is the same, at around 27% each.
To prevent the impact of worse stress, we can manage stress independently and can also measure our own stress levels with the tools at the end of this article. Why women are more stressed
Research in China shows several factors that affect the occurrence of psychological stress such as panic disorder, anxiety and depression.
Women are more prone to stress than men. Social norms that place domestic responsibility on women make working women have a double burden. In addition to having roles and responsibilities on work in the office, they also take care of work in the domestic field.
The higher the burden of household chores, the higher the likelihood of women experiencing stress.
Interestingly, the number of people stressed, in the study, both among young and old turned out to be the same percentage. The age of 18-30 years is a productive age and get a lot of information from social media. Without sorting out the information obtained, a person can more easily become stressed.
Meanwhile, the high mortality rate in patients over the age of 60 makes this age group more susceptible to stress.
In addition to the above two findings, higher educated people are also more prone to stress that is associated with high awareness of one's own health. High education and awareness will make it easier for a person to absorb various information and respond excessively, especially if they have symptoms that resemble COVID-19.
Outdoors, workers who had to use public transportation (31.89%) were more prone to psychological stress due to anxiety about the risk of exposure to the virus during travel.
Workers tend to worry about the risk of reduced income or layoffs due to pandemic situations. It's natural that you're stressed.
Since the beginning of March, various aspects of life from economic, social to everyday life have also changed drastically due to the coronavirus attack. Many public service agencies restrict and even eliminate temporary services.
Feeling anxious, sad, stressed, confused, scared and angry is a normal feeling when facing a pandemic situation. Because feelings are spontaneous reactions from within us to the person, place, situation or event we are experiencing.
Feelings are a response to the body to protect and ensure safety. In addition, feelings also have a relationship with the way a person thinks and behaves.
We need to recognize the thoughts and accept the feelings that arise so that we can adapt to the situation at large. But if our thoughts are irrational or realistic, this can make feelings negative and result in harmful behaviors.
For example, such people spend a lot of time looking for information related to COVID-19, are excessively suspicious to cause difficulty socializing, difficulty completing work and fulfilling other responsibilities.
Impaired mental health can potentially lower the immune system. Stress management tips
The Indonesian Association of Mental Medicine Specialists (PDSKJI) suggests there are several ways that we can manage stress independently at home.
Stress management is important for improving endurance, maintaining sleep quality, and improving the body's defenses against disease.
The Indonesian Association of Mental Medicine Specialists (PDSKJI) and the Indonesian Psychological Association (HIMPSI) appealed to the public to do the following 3 simple things:
1. Post positive, fun and hopeful things.
- Send or send positive, fun and hopeful messages (this includes for the mass media).
- Look for and multiply positive, fun and hopeful information. Read less news or information that is not needed (we don't need to know everything).
- Look for sources of inspiration that strengthen (for example, people in monitoring or patients in monitoring who have toughness to face the condition).
2. Provide mutual support and assistance
- Maintain social relationships (while maintaining physical distance) through social media.
- Strengthen each other's support and help in the family.
- Strengthen mutual support and assistance in the community/ community.
- Strengthening awareness that we are together, not alone in the face of this pandemic disaster.
- Seeking professional support include psychologists, psychiatrists when experiencing feelings of distress, anxiety and others.
3. Dream the disaster will end
- Build positive suggestions on yourself.
- Relax to relieve emotional stress.
- Train positive emotions by looking for the good side of the current situation.
- Increase religiosity.
- Strengthen hope and optimism.
- Strengthening the belief that we are with all parties able to overcome this pandemic disaster.
People can also do screening or early detection if they are worried about experiencing negative psychological stress or emotional mental disorders with questionnaires developed by WHO. Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) is an early detection questionnaire that can reveal an individual's emotional status for a moment (-/+ 30 days).
This questionnaire has been used by the Ministry of Health to assess the mental health of indonesians with good validity and reliability.
By answering at least 6 questions in the answer "yes", then you will be declared emotionally impaired.
But the results of this questionnaire are not a diagnosis, because the diagnosis should only be determined by medical professionals who are determined based on symptoms / complaints, medical history and other factors experienced.
These results only revealed the individual's momentary emotional status and were not designed to diagnose specific mental disorders.
With this early detection, it signifies that a person has realized something unusual is happening to him. It's good, but it can't stop at this stage.
If a disturbance is found, it is necessary to immediately seek help, especially if there are suicidal thoughts / behaviors, harmful violent behavior, uncontrolled behavior or emotions to get psychosocial assistance for anyone affected by COVID-19.
Do you want to measure your current stress levels? Please test yourself through this link.
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