And now, a wave of post-traumatic stress?
During these past weeks, nearly 57% of humanity has experienced confinement since the appearance of the virus that spread across the surface of the Earth at the speed of light. Putting healthcare workers and healthcare systems to a severe test, it has also frayed our nerves. And the deconfinement, which requires getting used to the post-pandemic world, does not necessarily mark the end of the stress generated by confinement. We are not all equal in the face of this global crisis: whether alone and isolated or, on the contrary, surrounded and accompanied, young or less young, in good or bad health, more or less well-housed and comfortably settled, and more or less economically exposed. Our risks and resilience factors are not evenly distributed. But we all face the same virus and the worries, even anxieties, caused by the global pandemic, a first for our generations who only knew pandemics from history books.
Given the initial feedback, experts fear the worst. As emergency situations gradually ease, mental health professionals are seeing patients in mental distress returning—both those who were already receiving care and new cases significantly affected by the crisis. “There will be a deluge of post-traumatic stress,” warns Catherine Tourette-Turgis, a researcher at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers and founder of the Patients’ University. Just look to China to grasp the extent of the impending problem.
An investigation conducted by the Shanghai Mental Health Center
Among 53,000 people surveyed, a study conducted by the Shanghai Mental Health Center reveals that 35% of respondents experienced psychological distress, and 5% had severe disorders, including the risk of suicidal tendencies.
Frustration, anger, panic, anxiety, distress, impulsivity, sleep problems, depression… These are all negative emotions linked to confinement, and they won’t magically disappear once the confinement is over, sometimes risking becoming long-lasting. If this is the case for you or your loved ones, seeking guidance from professionals can be helpful to reconnect with a good mental quality of life and restored balance.
In practice: Need help?
Bathysmed, which has proven itself with survivors of the Bataclan and psychologically injured military personnel during clinical trials conducted in collaboration with the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, can help anyone, with or without diving experience, effectively combat stress.
For any information, feel free to contact us.
