A study commissioned by the University of Phoenix recently discovered that people in the US have a wide variety of concerns amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, with mental and physical health being the top causes of distress, as reported by the South West News Service.
The survey of 1,055 Americans, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 71% of respondents were most worried about their loved ones’ health, and 61% were worried about their own health. Nearly half of those surveyed, 47%, believe social distancing guidelines will go on for another two to three months, while over a quarter, 27%, anticipate the measures will last four more months or longer.
Furthermore, 44% of respondents said they felt lonelier than ever before thanks to the pandemic, and 19% said that the continuation of quarantines and social distancing guidelines would have significant impacts on their mental health.
The study also discovered that 41% percent of respondents worried about experiencing an increase in anxiety, 33% worried about not being able to pay bills due to the crisis, 30% worried about missing out on celebrating milestones, and 27% were concerned about feeling prolonged loneliness or depression. A majority of respondents, 68%, said they feel like everything is out of their control.
According to Dr. Dean Aslinia, chair of the counseling department at the University of Phoenix, “feelings of loneliness are not solely due to isolation or social distancing.” He went on to say that “some of the challenge is that our connections are not emotionally fulfilling and are increasingly less personal, genuine and may be void of real empathy. Technology overuse, impersonal interactions and choosing to interact with people that are not healthy for us all lead to loneliness. If something good can come from this pandemic, we can hopefully recognize the need for meaningful contact.”
Within the study, 53% of participants answered that they desired information on how to better take care of their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the good news is that the survey did find that many are taking steps in order to do so, with 60% having recently checked in with a loved one and 35% exercising more than they were before the lockdowns.