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covid-19 woman wearing face mask sad

Mental health and COVID-19 do not seem to go hand in hand. Given the current socio-economic crisis coupled with social distancing and quarantine, mental health professionals are warning that profound psychological distress will affect populations worldwide. The most cited COVID-19 psychological problems include stress, anxiety, depression, frustration, and uncertainty.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland Explains COVID-19 Mental Health

If you or someone you know have been suffering from mental health problems related to coronavirus effects, you may be wondering how to reach a healthy “normal” amid all this chaos.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland discusses covid-19 mental health

In an exclusive interview with Top Class Actions, Dr. Gilles Chamberland, M.D., FRCPC, gives readers an inside look at the potential psychological risks associated with coronavirus effects, what readers should be aware of in terms of unhealthy COVID-19 behaviour and how to maintain a healthy social life despite the global pandemic.

Dr. Chamberland is a psychiatrist, previous Director of Professional Services at Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, Distinguished Fellow at the Canadian and American Psychiatric Associations and is Associate Professor of addictology, Department of Psychiatry, at Université de Montréal. Dr. Chamberland is also a longtime Crown expert witness in medical and forensic psychiatry for leading national cases, such as the Luka Magnotta trial and has been cited throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as an authority on mental health during the coronavirus crisis.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland Discusses Quarantine

If you were wondering who is most at-risk of developing COVID-19 mental health issues, Dr. Chamberland explains that “people who are already suffering from anxiety or depression are those who are most affected by quarantine or other measures.” The reason, he explains, is that “confinement highlights the underlying anxiety or depression, and because many are isolated with little else to sustain a healthy social life, these mental health problems will now be front and centre.”

If you suffer from anxiety or high stress levels, for example, but you ordinarily have a release outside, such as meeting up with friends or going to the gym, all of these releases will likely be halted during a mandatory quarantine period. This, Dr. Chamberland notes, eliminates an important coping mechanism for many people.

Mandatory confinement has caused an uproar among Canadians since the pandemic hit the country in March. For example, the Quebec government and its public health department are facing a legal challenge regarding confinement measures that were called “Draconian” and exaggerated.

The COVID-19 lawsuit claims that the measures taken during the health crisis, such as confinement and stay-at-home orders, infringed on citizens’ rights and freedoms.

“We believe that the government of Quebec took extreme measures to fight against COVID-19 as if it were treating an Ebola crisis,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers wrote. “These measures risk creating a social crisis in Quebec, one far worse than the health crisis caused by the current pandemic.”

Indeed, many are worried that coronavirus effects coupled with certain government orders may significantly impact mental health.

According to Dr. Gilles Chamberland, who has not voiced his opinion on mandatory COVID-19 measures, says that there is a risk for “people who need to get out of the house to find a sense of belonging, to be happy or to just escape the craziness of home-life.”

The renowned psychiatrist highlights that there are typically two categories of people whose mental health will be significantly impacted by quarantine or social distancing measures:

  • Those who need to “get out” because they are not fulfilled or happy at home; or
  • Those who need to “get out” because they don’t have a social network outside of work, school or other social contexts.

People who have major stressors at home, such as an unhappy relationship or abuse often fall under the first category. Dr. Chamberland notes that many parents fall under the second category.

COVID-19 Financial Stress

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have been forced to close, employees were laid off and some businesses have moved entirely online. Many of these factors have led to a spike in financial stressors among Canadians.

Agreeing that many Canadians are suffering from high-stress levels due to business interruptions, Dr. Gilles Chamberland points out that some Canadians actually have reduced stress due to work from home orders.

“Some people loved it,” he notes with a chuckle. “Working from home can reduce other stressors, such as long commutes to work, reduced traffic on the roads and more time to spend with family.”

However, there is a flipside. Many businesses lost a lot of income, and many were forced to permanently shut down.

Although many Canadian businesses relied on business interruption insurance and even pandemic insurance, insurers across the country have been denying claims since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak. The psychological burden of financial stress coupled with insurance denials led Canadians to join forces and file claims against their insurers, something you can easily do right here.

All of these stressors would seemingly amount to Canadians suffering from depression and anxiety at higher rates than ever. However, Dr. Gilles Chamberland highlights that this is simply not the case- or at least- something we cannot know yet.

“Statistically, anxiety and depression are not higher. This determination is very complex, with numerous factors, and therefore difficult to assess.”

However, Dr. Chamberland warns that the second wave of COVID-19 risks spiking Canadians’ stress. The reason he provides is twofold: “First, it’s likely that much of the financial support that may have cushioned Canadians’ COVID-19 financial setbacks will not be so readily available when the second wave hits. Less support may lead to more stress. We may also see more negative mental health effects during the second wave, because psychological stressors often appear months after an initial trauma.”

Therefore, Dr. Gilles Chamberland points out that the bulk of the pandemic’s impact on mental health will only show in its entirety up to a year later.

Coronavirus Effects on Canada’s Elderly

elderly couple on zoom with grandchildren mental health during covid-19Throughout the pandemic, cases of long-term care home negligence and even elder abuse have made headlines across the country. Accounts of horrific long-term care conditions have been so serious that Ontario and Quebec launched a long-term care COVID-19 commission to investigate the issue.

However, another important factor in terms of COVID-19 and maintaining health among Canada’s elderly centers on ensuring that our elders’ mental health is sustained throughout the pandemic.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland underscores that the elderly are not only more likely to suffer from coronavirus effects at higher rates, but they are also more likely to suffer from the negative psychological impacts of the pandemic.

“The elderly have it much worse,” he explains. “They already suffer from isolation within the general population. Often, the elderly are already somewhat confined to their homes, with reduced mobility. Visits from family could be the highlight of their week or month. COVID-19 may be taking away the little many elderly people had to look forward to.”

Due to COVID-19, many are hesitant to visit elderly family members. This can therefore further isolate the elderly population, notes Dr. Chamberland, adding that they therefore face greater risks of depression amid the global pandemic.

Additionally, “the elderly population could suffer from higher rates of anxiety during COVID-19,” he adds. This is because the fear of contracting coronavirus is accentuated by the higher mortality rate among the elderly.

What Can We Do to Ensure Mental Health During COVID-19?

At the end of the day, the changes that COVID-19 has introduced into our everyday lives impacts us all. Dr. Gilles Chamberland offers readers top tips for keeping a healthy state of mind amid the chaos of this global pandemic.

“Social media could be a great way to keep families and friends connected,” remarks Dr. Chamberland. “Because many people are spending more time isolated at home, especially the elderly, social media can be a means for people to safely engage in social interaction.”

However, Dr. Chamberland warns that social media is not completely harmless: “It could also be dangerous. Too much time on social media leads to even greater isolation, so we have to be careful.”

Another useful tip is to create a “social pod.” Social bubbles or pods may help weaken the spread of COVID-19, because they limit the number of people whom you meaningfully interact with. Dr. Chamberland notes that social pods may be the answer to maintaining meaningful human interaction during COVID-19. However certain populations, such as the elderly, will often be left out of such coronavirus social coping mechanisms.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland also raises the issue of becoming excessively careful during COVID-19. Keeping a degree of social interaction during the pandemic is key to nurturing your mental health, “but people also need to watch out for any obsessive or pathological behaviour related to COVID-19.” This may include excessive cleaning, fear of people, extreme isolation, etc.

Although most people will probably be fine, he notes, people who already suffer from anxiety or another pre-existing psychological disorder may experience aspects of their pathology manifesting in COVID-19 obsessive behaviour.

Do you have COVID-19 mental health questions for Dr. Gilles Chamberland? Let us know in the comments below!

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4 thoughts onTop COVID-19 Mental Health Risks | Dr. Gilles Chamberland Answers Your Questions

  1. Keurk Garo says:

    Hi!
    I have my brother who’s in philippe pinel and they are poisoning him with the clozapine drugs every day and my brother wants to lower the dosage of that drugs because he’s chocking during the night times while in he’s sleep. If one day he decides to not take it. They will punish him by keeping him in the room. My brother was in isolation in he’s room for more then 1 month. Yes I repeat 1 month in he’s room not being able to go out and until now they are isolating him.Doctor Gilles Chamberland needs to resign from the mental institution and someone new has to take he’s place. That’s the only solution for the patients to have a good new director.

  2. LISA HAWKINS says:

    Please add me

  3. Arlene Zimmerman says:

    Very well-written article, very helpful while being factual. This article should be the oft-cited one since it outshines similar articles on these topics.

  4. leslie lutsky says:

    Dr Chamberland gave much needed information in a developing situation. I appreciated having this knowledge put into perspective.
    Thank you for l publishing this article, factual without sensationalism.

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