Joyce Fegan: Pandemic had a 'profound effect' on our wellbeing

‘Try asking twice’ is the advice from the Samaritans. People tend to reply ‘grand’ but this may be far from the reality.

On January 21 this year, the bulk of Covid restrictions were lifted. Mask-wearing and travel restrictions remained in place after that date, as did controls in various medical settings, but as far as being able to socialise, eat out, go to your gym class or pop into your neighbour, you were free to do so.

For the last 10 months we’ve been free of restrictions.

And now, as the lights get turned on in every town and village in Ireland, as Black Friday sales loom, and as Ryan Tubridy makes his final Toy Show jumper selection ahead of next Friday’s Late Late, we are approaching the first restriction-free Christmas in three years.

How free are you?

Various reports and focus groups suggest that the routines that got locked in during the various lockdowns have remained in place for some.

This week, Samaritans Ireland released its annual report, showing that in 2021, the organisation answered a call for help every 64 seconds. 

The volunteers there fielded almost half a million calls and emails throughout the year and the most frequently raised concern was mental health or illness.

Isolation and loneliness was the second most reported issue, followed by family, and then relationship concerns. Calls requiring emotional support, the kind of sustenance you’d ordinarily hope to receive from friends and family, last 33 minutes on average.

The pandemic had a “profound effect on people’s emotional wellbeing”, said executive director for Samaritans Ireland.

It makes you wonder where people are at now.

When restrictions were being lifted last year, Dr Paul D’Alton, head of the psychology department at St Vincent’s University Hospital, said previous research showed that “it will take many people between six and eight months to find their feet again”.

Routines

Age Action Ireland this month said that for some people the routines that bedded in during 2020 and 2021, have not shifted.

“For many, routines have been set in place. Older people had to rely more on family members during the pandemic - that habit was created,” said Celine Clarke, Age Action’s head of advocacy.

It meant losing independence.

“With the best will in the world, people did that for their loved ones, but it also meant those people lost some of their independence. Some handed over control of their finances, the picking up of pensions and getting money out of the bank,” she said.

Now with Covid cases rising there is still a reluctance among some people about visiting shops, socialising, and using public transport.

With “cocooning” for people over the age of 70, where walking around your garden was your only form of movement, a “narrative” was established around what you could and couldn’t do.

“There was a whole narrative that they shouldn’t leave home. Some people haven’t been able to overcome that narrative,” Ms Clarke said.

I was at a family party recently where there was a wide range of ages, social situations, and work arrangements.

There were nieces and nephews who were 18 when the pandemic began and who are now out in the working world. There were new generations born, yet to be met by extended families, for others

Some were out on the road for work, so remote working was never a thing, and for others, remote working became the norm over 2020 and 2021, and is now the bedded-in norm.

One friend this week told me how her husband, who’s now back in the office several days a week, did not, for long periods of time, leave their housing estate during restrictions between working from home and minding the kids between calls and deadlines. Having a life outside of work and domestic duties is taking conscious effort.

While there’s research emerging and data collected from some areas of life, there’s no doubt pandemic habits got bedded in for most people’s lives.

From increased phone and social media use for some, to greater isolation for others in terms of working remotely, or trying to protect themselves from that lingering sense of threat, reflecting on life at the end of 2022, compared with your life towards the end of 2019, proves a useful exercise.

Wellbeing

As Samaritans executive director, said, the pandemic had a profound effect on people’s emotional wellbeing, and that’s everyone from children to young adults, and from parents to those over 70.

This week in Britain, Nightline, a 50-year mental health helpline run by students for students, released figures showing even higher demand for its services this year, than compared with the pandemic.

It had recorded a 51.4% increase in calls in from 2020 to 2021, and this has grown since, with early data showing numbers for 2021 to 2022 were 30% higher, and up a further 23% since the new academic year began.

Concerns include anxiety, depression, and financial stress.

“Current students experienced the transition into higher education very differently from their predecessors, and may feel underprepared for university life,” said Jennifer Smith, policy manager at Student Minds.

“Try asking twice,” that’s the suggestion from The Samaritans this week, when it comes to checking in with people.

The initial “how are you” is likely to be met with the automatic “grand” or “fine”, before moving swiftly on to the weather. Asking again, says the organisation, shows the other person you want their genuine answer.

And what’s considered “enough” is simply listening, not fixing, not giving advice, but really taking the time to listen, says the charity.

If someone is not able to talk, let them know that you’ll be there when they are.

You can contact the Samaritans for free and at any time on 116 123.

Calls will still work from a mobile phone without credit and that the number won’t show up on phone bills.

People can also email [e-mail] or visit www.samaritans.ie.