Lewis Katie
LEWIS: Guest Columnist: is a research psychologist at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA.
J Psychiatr Pract. 2020 Sep;26(5):400-404. doi: 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000488.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its need for social distancing as a response have the potential to increase the experience of loneliness in the population, with an associated increase in symptoms of mental disorders. As the world has largely adapted to remote platforms for employment, socializing, and health service delivery, the degree to which virtual opportunities for social engagement may offset the impact of limited in-person interactions on mental health functioning is unknown. This column offers preliminary data from an ongoing experience sampling study of the prevalence, course, and impact of loneliness on mental health in a community adult sample living under social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial findings aggregated across all experience sampling reports showed negative associations between virtual social contact (via text, phone, or videoconferencing) and feelings of loneliness, while in-person interactions appeared to have no impact on loneliness. In addition, respondents reported frequent instances of negative effects on physical and mental health, including disruptions in sleep and recurring suicidal ideation. While further analyses are needed, these findings are consistent with similar emerging reports showing increased rates of mental health concerns during periods of social distancing. Possible avenues for addressing these concerns using remote interventions are explored.
新冠疫情及其对社交距离的要求可能会增加人们的孤独感，并相应增加精神障碍症状。由于世界在很大程度上已适应了通过远程平台进行就业、社交和提供医疗服务，社交参与的虚拟机会在多大程度上能够抵消有限的面对面互动对心理健康功能的影响尚不清楚。本专栏提供了一项正在进行的经验抽样研究的初步数据，该研究针对新冠疫情期间在社交距离要求下生活的社区成年样本，研究孤独感的患病率、发展过程及其对心理健康的影响。所有经验抽样报告汇总得出的初步结果显示，虚拟社交接触（通过短信、电话或视频会议）与孤独感之间呈负相关，而面对面互动似乎对孤独感没有影响。此外，受访者报告了频繁出现的对身心健康的负面影响，包括睡眠中断和反复出现的自杀念头。虽然还需要进一步分析，但这些发现与类似的新报告一致，这些报告表明在社交距离期间心理健康问题的发生率有所上升。本文还探讨了使用远程干预措施解决这些问题的可能途径。
