Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Lessons from lockdown
The uncertainty of coronavirus during the lockdown has helped people to lean on families and create healthy habits, services supporting Marlburians say.
The shared experience of lockdown helped to create a ‘‘sense of connection’’ within families, which Blenheim Child and Adolescent psychiatrist Dr Vikram Yadav hopes can continue during level 2.
While the pandemic has been unsettling, some would have benefited from the increased support of having their ‘‘bubble’’ more available.
‘‘What does that [lockdown] do in terms of a sense of connection, a sense of relationship, doing things together?’’ Yadav said.
‘‘For young kids, playfulness, for older kids knowing that whoever is in their bubble is there to talk to when needed.’’
Lockdown had encouraged families to create rituals together and discuss experiences and feelings in a way they hadn’t before.
‘‘This is an opportunity to share, to ask, to talk about feelings within families,’’ he said.
He said it was essential families saw need for open communication as a way of adapting to and understanding ‘‘this unusual event’’.
He hoped the sense of connection would extend in level 2 as children return to school and parents to work. Some may not experience the impacts of the pandemic until later.
‘‘I think we have to wait and watch, but be available,’’ he said.
‘‘Young people need family and friends to be available, and the circle of support that surrounds each individual needs to be available.’’
Yadav had continued to support patients and families throughout lockdown, but said referrals were down as services were focused on more severe needs. He had not yet seen a huge impact of coronavirus on the mental health of his patients, but said the uncertainty of the pandemic could take a toll as time went on.
‘‘Any uncertainty, any change will produce some stress,’’ he said.
‘‘Going back to school is a big step for young people in primary school as well as adolescents, so I would expect it to be stressful or unsettling for young people.’’
He encouraged people to tap into their ‘‘biggest resource’’ – the circle of support within their bubbles.
Wellbeing practitioner Lisa Preece worked with mild to moderate mental health needs through referrals from the primary sector.
Beginning in the role in February at the Wairau Community Clinic, she had a taste of the mental health need before the pandemic.
Post-Covid, her role was around helping people to adapt to the dismantling of routine.
‘‘When we’re faced with a global pandemic – which of course we never have been until now – it takes away our ability to control how we normally live our lives,’’ she said.
Her intervention at times had been basic, giving patients advice around lifestyle and sleep hygiene, and she said the ‘‘slowing down’’ of alert level 4 had helped some people to establish healthy routines.
‘‘If people can learn from slowing down and what worked really well and what they want to keep post-pandemic, I think that’s some good stuff coming out of it.’’
‘‘You’d want to hope people could pass those skills onto their kids and we could have a healthier approach to mental health.’’