‘We’re not built to cope with this’
PEOPLE have faced new challenges while getting used to living with “certain uncertainty” during the first full year of the pandemic, a leading psychiatrist has said.
Dr Chris Pell, chairman of the general adult psychiatry faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said human brains are “not built to deal with uncertainty” and people have had to become adaptable to cope as the pandemic has gone on, bringing lockdowns and restrictions, with reports of a rise in mental health problems.
He said: “It’s comparable to the sorts of restrictions seen in wartime and I think it’s followed that trajectory as well.
“At the beginning there’s that sense of community, everybody’s in it together and community spirit comes to the fore, but, as it wears on, it starts to get more draining and people use up the reserves they have got and start to begin to struggle.
“In psychiatry referrals, we have seen a shift as the pandemic has gone on from the early days when it tended to be people who had a pre-existing mental health problem.
“As it has worn on, we are seeing probably more folk who had not had difficulties before going to GPs and saying ‘I’m really starting to struggle’ and not sure what to do going forward.
“What has not helped has been all the uncertainty throughout. Human brains are not built to deal with uncertainty.”
A recent survey for the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland found that, since the pandemic began in March 2020, nearly a third of Scots (32 per cent) have suffered anxiety.
Meanwhile, almost a quarter (24 per cent) of 1080 adults surveyed in early November said they have suffered symptoms of depression and 23 per cent have experienced loneliness.
To help cope, Dr Pell, a consultant psychiatrist based in Angus, suggested connecting with friends and family, whether virtually or in person, spending time outside, exercising and eating a good diet.