The COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health: Crisis Counseling in a Public Health Crisis
Julia Vinagolu-Baur
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five adults in the United States lives with a mental illness (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019). As expected, mental health tends to worsen in situations that threaten one’s basic needs (McLeod, 2020) or result in social isolation (Novotney, 2019).
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a model commonly depicted as a five-level pyramid where basic needs ought to be fulfilled in succession, before one can experience higher levels of wellbeing (McLeod, 2020). The lowermost stage represents physiological needs such as food, exercise, shelter and rest, to name a few. The second stage represents safety needs, such as a safe environment, stable income or secure employment, health, housing and a personal sense of security. The third stage is love and belonging, which includes friends, family, intimate relationships and a sense of connection. The fourth stage is esteem, which includes a sense of accomplishment and success. Lastly, the topmost stage is self-actualization, which is often referred to as a growth or being need (B-need) instead of a basic or deficiency need (D-need) as physiological, safety, love/belonging and esteem needs often are. Self-actualization refers to the sense of achieving one’s full potential.
The figure below alludes to some of many factors that threaten one’s basic needs and mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a model commonly depicted as a five-level pyramid where basic needs ought to be fulfilled in succession, before one can experience higher levels of wellbeing (McLeod, 2020). The lowermost stage represents physiological needs such as food, exercise, shelter and rest, to name a few. The second stage represents safety needs, such as a safe environment, stable income or secure employment, health, housing and a personal sense of security. The third stage is love and belonging, which includes friends, family, intimate relationships and a sense of connection. The fourth stage is esteem, which includes a sense of accomplishment and success. Lastly, the topmost stage is self-actualization, which is often referred to as a growth or being need (B-need) instead of a basic or deficiency need (D-need) as physiological, safety, love/belonging and esteem needs often are. Self-actualization refers to the sense of achieving one’s full potential.
The figure below alludes to some of many factors that threaten one’s basic needs and mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:
The COVID-19 pandemic has created barriers to physiological wellbeing for many, in particular those who cannot afford to pay for grocery delivery, purchase in-home exercise equipment to stay in shape, or resort to a quiet, empty room at home. In addition, the merging of one’s personal life, work and/or school into the same environment at home has led to circadian rhythm discrepancies and the emergence of sleep-wake disorders (Bryson, 2020), all of which further affect physiological wellbeing. Domestic violence from increased time spent at home amongst household members, financial insecurity due to lay-offs and furloughs, risk and fear of contracting Sars-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, and housing insecurity are some notable factors that negatively impact one’s physical and emotional sense of security (Bradbury-Jones & Isham, 2020). Social isolation from family, friends, colleagues at work and even the general public, has led to an increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression (Pietrabissa & Simpson, 2020), and negatively impacts one’s sense of connection, love and belonging, as one would expect. Similarly, feelings of unproductivity and lack of accomplishment compared to previous years, has a detrimental impact on one’s sense of self-esteem, which also threatens mental health. Based on Maslow’s theory, all of the above have a negative impact on one’s ability to achieve self-actualization (McLeod, 2020).
The importance of this model is recognizing that our met/unmet needs vary substantially from others, and that it is crucial to remain conscientious of what our peers are going through, offering guidance as needed, and being empathetic to everyone’s personal battles during these challenging times.
One main objective to writing this paper was to approach Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs from a new lens by consolidating the various factors that affect one’s basic needs and ultimately, their mental health. As a crisis counselor, I have the privilege of playing a small part in battling the rising mental health crisis amidst this public health crisis. I’m thankful for my training in reflective listening, collaborative problem solving, and crisis management to help out with the wide range of challenges each texter faces, and I’m grateful to make a difference in someone’s life with every conversation I take on.
If you’re unsure about how to approach helping someone in need, Mental Health First Aid (in conjunction with the National Council on Behavioral Health) offers a resource on best practices for supporting a loved one who is going through a tough time during COVID-19 (Mental Health First Aid, 2020). However, if you or a loved one find yourselves in a crisis, text HELLO to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” - Wendy Mass
About the Author
Julia Vinagolu-Baur is a student in the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program at the Harvard University Division of Continuing Education/Harvard Extension School.
References
Bradbury‐Jones, C., & Isham, L. (2020). The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID‐19 on domestic violence. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(13-14), 2047-2049. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15296
Bryson, W. J. (2020). Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders and the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(8), 1423-1423. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8540
Mental Health First Aid. (2020, March 20). How to support a loved one going through a tough time during COVID-19. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2020/03/how-to-support-a-loved-one-going-through-a-tough-time-during-covid-19/
McLeod, S. A. (2020, March 20). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
National Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Mental Illness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml
Novotney, A. (2019, May). The risks of social isolation. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation
Pietrabissa G and Simpson SG (2020) Psychological Consequences of Social Isolation During COVID-19 Outbreak. Front. Psychol. 11:2201. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02201
The importance of this model is recognizing that our met/unmet needs vary substantially from others, and that it is crucial to remain conscientious of what our peers are going through, offering guidance as needed, and being empathetic to everyone’s personal battles during these challenging times.
One main objective to writing this paper was to approach Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs from a new lens by consolidating the various factors that affect one’s basic needs and ultimately, their mental health. As a crisis counselor, I have the privilege of playing a small part in battling the rising mental health crisis amidst this public health crisis. I’m thankful for my training in reflective listening, collaborative problem solving, and crisis management to help out with the wide range of challenges each texter faces, and I’m grateful to make a difference in someone’s life with every conversation I take on.
If you’re unsure about how to approach helping someone in need, Mental Health First Aid (in conjunction with the National Council on Behavioral Health) offers a resource on best practices for supporting a loved one who is going through a tough time during COVID-19 (Mental Health First Aid, 2020). However, if you or a loved one find yourselves in a crisis, text HELLO to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” - Wendy Mass
About the Author
Julia Vinagolu-Baur is a student in the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program at the Harvard University Division of Continuing Education/Harvard Extension School.
References
Bradbury‐Jones, C., & Isham, L. (2020). The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID‐19 on domestic violence. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(13-14), 2047-2049. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15296
Bryson, W. J. (2020). Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders and the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(8), 1423-1423. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8540
Mental Health First Aid. (2020, March 20). How to support a loved one going through a tough time during COVID-19. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2020/03/how-to-support-a-loved-one-going-through-a-tough-time-during-covid-19/
McLeod, S. A. (2020, March 20). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
National Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Mental Illness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml
Novotney, A. (2019, May). The risks of social isolation. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation
Pietrabissa G and Simpson SG (2020) Psychological Consequences of Social Isolation During COVID-19 Outbreak. Front. Psychol. 11:2201. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02201