Impact of Isolation and COVID-19 on Mental health of the Indian Society

Introduction

Why Social Research?

Social Research is a method used by social scientists and researchers to learn about people
and societies so that they can plan policies that cater to various needs of the people. Young
(1949) has defined social research as the systematic method of discovering new facts or
verifying old facts, their sequences, interrelationships, causal explanations, and the natural
laws which govern them.
Social Research helps in social planning, identifying social problems and educating people
about the same, finding solutions for the problem; it also helps in creating knowledge,
bringing about social welfare and facilitates social predictions.

Relevance of topic
Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not
accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that
precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-
sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a
god
- Aristotle
During recent times, terms such as social distancing and lockdown has been used widely.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to maintain a minimum distance
and avoid contact with people as much as possible due to the fear of spread of the virus. Even
today, the pandemic is still prevalent and the measures of social distancing are still being
followed. Due to lockdown in many countries across the world, the world has come to a
standstill and people have been disconnected as well as isolated from each other. While this
has helped in controlling the pandemic, individuals have been affected personally at a large
scale.
This impact has been felt at a social and a psychological level, wherein many people have
started suffering from anxiety, social anxiety, feeling of isolation; and ultimately depression
and suicidal tendencies due to this feeling of separation and distancing.

Meaning of Isolation
Isolation is the experience of being separated from others. It may result from being physically
separated from others, such as when a person lives in a remote area. Isolation can also result
from being emotionally removed from a community. (The separation could be real or
perceived.) An isolated person may experience loneliness or low self-esteem. Over time, a
person may develop social anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns.
Solitude, isolation, and loneliness are similar terms, but they have distinct meanings.
Solitude is the state of being alone.
Isolation is a lack of social relationships or emotional support.
Loneliness is a craving for social contact. It is often linked to feelings of sadness and
emptiness.

Why is it in the news? / Current Status

A recently concluded systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of
psychological morbidities among the general population, health-care workers, and COVID-
19 patients amidst the COVID-19 pandemic reported that about half of the population faced
psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poor sleep quality (40%), stress (34%),
and psychological distress (34%) were the most commonly reported problems across various
studies. An online Indian survey has reported that about 40.5% of the participants reported
anxiety or depressive symptoms. About three-fourth (74.1%) of the participants reported a
moderate level of stress, and 71.7% reported poor well-being.
According to World Health Organisation, The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted
critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental
health is increasing, according to a new survey.
The cases have been increasing and may also increase in future times as the social isolation
becomes a new norm. There are various categories of people that haven affected, which will
be explained further-
 Students
 Housewives
 Office workers
 Frontline workers
 Elderly

Why will the research be useful?

Mental health is still a taboo subject in the Indian society. People are often labelled as
problematic when found seeking therapy or stigmatised, hence making it important to talk
about it. In order to create awareness about an issue, one could research and gain knowledge
about the particular subject in order to further educate the masses.
Through the research, there could be several solutions to the issue at hand and could be
implemented through various methods. By this, we can ensure that proper people get mental
health treatment on time and also make people realise if they need such help. India’s suicide
rates are increasing, and it is fitting that we talk freely about the same without any stigma.