User:Aaminas27/sandbox

Mental Health and Infectious Disease
The onset of a viral disease outbreak—caused by the sudden and overwhelming presence of an infectious disease within society—can have various effects on individuals' mental wellbeing. Most commonly, people may experience newfound feelings of fear, paranoia, and hopelessness during a pandemic, especially if little is known about the nature of the infectious disease in question. In response to a pandemic, many governments of affected areas implement a series of regulations that they encourage citizens to follow in order to keep themselves and others safe and healthy. One regulation that can take a major toll on individuals' mental health is a stay-at-home order, otherwise known as a "lockdown". Following a lift on lockdown restrictions in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic, survey studies revealed that most people experienced declines in their mental health while at home; individuals reported feeling much more worried and paranoid, and some developed a distrust in their government institutions due to feeling as though they were "stripped of their freedom" by being required to stay indoors. In addition, some peoples' thoughts and emotions surrounding a disease may be influenced by their "usual" ways of thinking and perception habits. In a 2020 study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that individuals who had a history of accepting conspiracy theories as truths were more likely to believe conspiracies associated with COVID-19's infectious severity and its origins. Essential workers—such as those in the medical field, grocery store staff, government workers, and many other individuals whose occupations require for them to continue working during infectious disease outbreaks—experience a great amount of negative emotions while performing their duties, as they continually come into contact with individuals and items that may possess contagious disease agents. A qualitative study that investigated the emotions and experiences of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that nearly all nurses that took part in the study exhibited fearful, anxious emotions, and many engaged in unhealthy coping mechanisms such as isolating themselves and drastically increasing their food intake. The constant human interactions that they have during a period in which socialization is highly suggested against cause them to become fearful for their health, as well as the health of their families/those they live with. Because the number of people in a given society that are essential workers is the minority compared to those whose jobs are not deemed "essential", most individuals rely on media coverage of the disease and its impact on all aspects of human existence to develop their feelings regarding it. A 2017 survey study that investigated Americans' response to the 2014 Ebola virus crisis showed that media coverage that consistently brought up the number of cases and death caused by the virus, as well as additional negative news related to it, was directly related to individuals' negative psychological experiences during the virus's prominence. By placing a large focus on the sad and upsetting details regarding an infectious disease outbreak, people are more likely to become fearful, hopeless, and, overall, much less positive versions of themselves. The mystery and uncertainty that come with infectious disease make way for negative mental health effects to thrive, and with the help of constant media coverage, first-hand experience dealing with infectious individuals (both knowingly and unknowingly), and being isolated from in-person events and interactions, it is easy for people to slip into bouts of fear and diminished mental health.