Coronavirus is one of the most serious, impactful, and discussed problems nowadays. There is probably no person today who did not suffer from it in some way. Its scope has long crossed the boundary of a mere disease. As Sadati et al. (2020) noted, this pandemic is not only “a biological and epidemiological issue,” but also has political, economic, and social consequences (para. 1). Therefore, not only doctors and biologists deal with this problem, but also a wide range of specialists from other fields. One category of professionals directly involved in resolving the coronavirus crisis is psychologists. This essay aims to analyze their role and input in battling various consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Psychologists Do to Mitigate Coronavirus’s Negative Impact
Coronavirus’s impact on psychological health is undeniable, as various scholars have highlighted and proved that. Kazak (2020) is certain that to choose the best strategy of combating COVID-19, one cannot ignore psychological factors at all the social levels from individuals to whole communities and society in general. Moreover, the researcher adds that psychology is an irreplaceable means of help and relief for those suffering from the pandemic (Kazak, 2020). Thus, one may be sure that society cannot do without psychologists at a rough time like today.
Psychologists organized a large-scale webinar to exchange experiences and point out the main psychological issues people suffered from during the pandemic. More than 800 specialists from different countries participated and shared valuable insight (Lobb, 2020, p.342). One of the key findings of their discussion was a shift from seeking “personal power to the new value of being-with and recognizing the other” (Lobb, 2020, p.342). Psychologists believe that such change might be influenced by the primal feeling of safety while being a community’s part (Lobb, 2020). In brief, while worrying about one’s health and life, one desires more contact with other people. It is something the governments should keep in mind when imposing the lockdown for a long period and providing few opportunities for people to communicate.
How Psychologists Help Victims of Domestic Violence during Lockdown
Coronavirus-related problems, such as the risk of being infected or the need to avoid public gatherings, affect everybody. The abovementioned fear of isolation is also universal, and everyone feels it to a certain extent. However, while some people suffer from loneliness, others might suffer from the constant proximity of their partners, parents, or relatives. They feel their personal boundaries are compromised, which leads to a surge of irritation, stress, and conflicts. If one cannot communicate with others and deal with one’s emotions in a healthy way, one often resorts to abuse or violence.
What one should clearly understand is that some social groups are influenced by the pandemic disproportionately. The vulnerable population includes such categories as women (especially pregnant ones), children, older adults, people with mental and physical illnesses, and those “living below the poverty line” (Mukhtar, 2020, p.515). Apart from general health risks and anxiety, they also run a higher risk of becoming victims of domestic violence. Quarantine as a protective measure against the virus’ spread, in some cases, becomes a supportive environment for abusers as victims are locked with them and have few opportunities to escape or contact anyone.
Multiple studies have been conducted regarding the impact of coronavirus on domestic violence. According to McCrary and Sanga (2021), the number of domestic violence cases “increased 12% on average and 20% during working hours” since the beginning of the pandemic (p. 137). The scholars highlighted that while this increase might be temporary, the consequences would last for many years, if ever cease, due to the physical and psychological traumas inflicted on the victims (McCrary & Sanga, 2021). Witnessing or experiencing violence is especially dangerous for children as they are vulnerable and impressible, but, as Petrowski et al. (2020) pointed out, child protective services’ work was disrupted by quarantine (p.12). However, the researchers noted that helplines were still an effective way to report the problem and help a child or any other victim of domestic abuse (Petrowski et al., 2020). In brief, even in the face of communication disruption caused by the lockdown, professional psychologists still found a way to support those affected by the pandemic the most.
Conclusion
To conclude, the research showed that psychologists play an important role in helping people overcome a vast range of social and psychological problems caused by COVID-19. While many of these issues were not covered in this short essay, the ones mentioned illustrate how helpful psychologists are in the current situation. Psychologists conduct research and share their experience, thus providing society with valuable information on how coronavirus affects people and how to overcome or mitigate its negative impact. They pay special attention to the most vulnerable categories of people, such as women and children, who may be stuck with abusive relatives. Helplines have become their major way to contact these victims and support them when other means of communication are restricted due to the lockdown.
References
Kazak, A. E. (2020). Psychology is an essential science: American Psychologist highlights the role of psychology in understanding and addressing COVID-19. American Psychologist, 75(5), pp.605-606. Web.
Lobb, M. S. (2020). Dialogues on psychotherapy at the time of coronavirus: An introduction. The Humanistic Psychologist, 48(4), pp.340-346. Web.
McCrary, J., & Sanga, S. (2021). The impact of the coronavirus lockdown on domestic violence. American Law and Economics Review, 23(1), pp.137–163. Web.
Mukhtar, S. (2020). Psychological health during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic outbreak. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 66(5), pp. 512-516. Web.
Petrowski, N., Cappa, C., Pereira A., Mason, H., & Dabanc, R.A. (2020). Violence against children during COVID-19: Assessing and understanding change in use of helplines. Child Abuse & Neglect, 116(2), pp.1-14. Web.
Sadati, A. K., Lankarani, M. H. B., & Lankarani, K. B. (2020). Risk society, global vulnerability and fragile resilience; sociological view on the coronavirus outbreak. Shiraz E-Medical Journal, 21(4), pp.1-2. Web.