COVID -19, Surge Two:
The Growing Toll on Mental Health By Lauren English Britton, LPC
M
any of us had active social lives before Covid-19 arrived on the scene. We dined out at restaurants. We attended large gatherings with family and friends without a care. I remember exactly where I was when the first Arkansas case was reported. I was attending a work conference in a large event space. Word spread quickly about that first case, and the energy in the room shifted almost instantly from carefree to tense. Many of us became painfully aware of any person who coughed or sneezed. The presence of COVID-19 launched a series of stressful life adjustments for many: Leave home only for essential reasons, like going to work or picking up grocery orders (perhaps placed online). Set up a home office space to accommodate daily Zoom meetings or online learning for students. Limit social gatherings to tiny groups and meet outdoors. Learn the public health practices of social distancing, sanitizing, and mask wearing. As for health care professionals, many of us found ourselves continually garbed in PPE, caring for patients receiving oxygen or on ventilators. We tested people for the virus. We cared for each other at work. We became stand-in families for too many patients separated from their loved ones while hospitalized. And we were devastated when so many patients didn’t survive. Today, the Delta variant is attacking full-force. Restrictions that began easing just three months ago are necessary once again. The toll on our mental health deepens. It sometimes seems like more than we can bear.
18 FALL 2021 | ARKANSAS HOSPITALS
