Attention to effects on psyche urged

THE shift to Level 2 from a world of tight restrictions will be a challenge for many and some people’s mental health could be at risk, academics say.

Fear of leaving Level 3, the emotional toll of being in lockdown and Level 3 and the economic and social impacts of the restrictions would all take time to recover from, University of Otago School of Medicine senior lecturer and consultant psychiatrist Chris Gale said.

Six weeks of being told they could contract or spread Covid19 if they left their homes could be a difficult mindset for some to escape.

‘‘People are full of fear . . . Particularly older people and anxious people are experiencing extreme fear which will not just go away.

‘‘Some people have overly isolated themselves out of fear, with no social interaction whatsoever, and that will lead to a greater risk of depression.’’

The switch from being told not to leave home at all to an expectation of somewhat normal life would take time, Dr Gale said.

‘‘Some can’t just switch back on. It’s going to be a gradual and difficult adjustment to feel safe leaving your home.’’

For some, problematic relationships with others in their bubble would have been exacerbated in lockdown.

In Level 2 it was ‘‘incredibly’’ important to tackle worries, and reach out to others, he said.

‘‘The elderly and vulnerable especially need the extra support, they need ongoing social contact following lockdown.

‘‘For any government at this time it’s a horrible balancing act between preventing infection and social and economic consequences.’’

University of Otago philosophy, politics and economics programme director Lisa Ellis said the pandemic had been ‘‘a stress test for society’’ that had shown the country a few truths about itself.

‘‘Things we took for granted, like the quiet competence of healthcare workers or the fact that our neighbours care about us even if we didn’t communicate much before the lockdown, have suddenly become obvious and really important,’’ Prof Ellis said.

‘‘Central and local government communicated plainly with us, even about uncertainties, offering us a hightrust regime that relied on voluntary good behaviour on everyone’s part, and so far it has worked.’’

People in Otago and the rest of the country now clearly understood the contributions individual actions made to the collective wellbeing.

‘‘Of course we might not like everything we have learned about ourselves — did we really miss fast food that much? — but a lot of what we now know about our society is really encouraging.’’