Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697705897414.pdf (Dominica)
Psychosocial Aspects to COVID-19 In any epidemic, it is common for individuals to feel stressed and worried.

The outbreak of COVID-19 can lead to the spread of many negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, depression, and panic for individuals and communities.
Some common reactions of people affected (both directly and indirectly) might include:  Fear of be-  Fear of dying  Fear of los- being able to tion, and of from work  Fear of being placed in of being asso- ease  Feeling pow- loved ones  Fear of losing  Fear of being loved ones due to quarantine ing infected .
ing livelihoods, not work during isola- being dismissed socially excluded/ quarantine because ciated with the dis- erless in protecting loved ones separated from  Feelings of helplessness Feelings of loneliness  Feelings of boredom Feelings of depression  Feelings of anger Feelings of frustration  Feeling of confusion Feelings of anxiety / panic Feelings of sadness  Parents may feel worried for their children being at home (due to school closures) without appropriate care and support.

What is anxiety?
What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a part of our body’s natural response to protect us from danger.

This usually include feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes.

Experiencing anxiety is normal and everyone experiences it from time to time.

However, it becomes a problem when anxiety symptoms interfere with the normal functioning of a person’s life, occurs too often or too intense, or cannot be explained by other factors such as medical prob- lems or substance use/abuse.
Urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety Feeling weak or tired Symptoms Sweating Anxiety Difficulty control- ling worry Increased heart rate Breathing rapidly Trouble sleeping Trouble concentration What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) : A type of anxiety disorder which may develop after shocking or disturbing event (trauma).

It is sometimes referred to as shell shock.

A person may suffer from PTSD after suffering a variety of frightening events or just one very terrifying event.
Symptoms Feelings of unsafe / insecure Flash back ((relieving some aspects of terri- fying event) Physical sensa- tion (pain, sweating, Nausea, Aggression PTSD Panic Disturbed sleep Overwhelming feelings of Anger, sad- ness, guilt/ Difficulty concen- trating What is Depression?

Most people feel sad or depressed at times.

It’s a normal reaction to loss or life's struggles.
But when intense sadness -- including feeling helpless, hope- less, and worthless -- lasts for many days to weeks and keeps you from living your life, it may be something more than sadness.

You could have clinical de- pression -- a treatable medical condition.
Symptoms Loss or gain of weight Feeling of tiredness or lack of energy most of the day Feeling worthless or guilty most of the day Difficulty focussing, concentrating, and making decisions Having aches or pains that do not go away or gets better with treat- ment/ medication No interest or pleasure in most activities during the day or night Depression Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much Thoughts of death or suicide Loss of pleasure in life Over eat or stop feel- ing hungry Feeling restless, irritable or slowed down Physical Symptoms: Joint pain Back pain Digestive problems Sleep trouble Appetite changes Slowed speech and movements Comfort your self Reassure yourself with positive thoughts especially those which make you feel safe and secure.
Body –Based Relaxation:  Slow –paced breathing  Muscle relaxation  Massage  Exercise, yoga Soothing Activities:   Smells :incense, candles, etc.

Sounds: music that is enjoya- ble, repetitive music sounds of nature   Sleep: Research has proven that at least 7 hours of sleep per night is re- quired.

Mind– Based Relaxation :  Meditation  Prayer Diet:  Eating a balance diet is important as it helps main- tain good health.

Be aware of the quality of food as well as the amount that you eat.
Too much or too little food can be damaging to the body.

 Avoid the use of alcohol or caffeine Recognizing and Helping a Suicidal Person Warning signs of suicide: The person may threaten to take his/her life.

The person has attempted suicide before and/or has a plan to kill himself/herself.

The person may prepare for death for example by giving away personal possessions.
The person may show signs of depression, such as: loss of interest in activities, with- drawal from friends and family, sadness, sleep disturbance, change in appetite, guilt, hopelessness, loss, difficulty concentrating, crying.

A sudden lift in spirits, following these signs, may mean that the person is relieved be- cause their problems will soon end (by taking one’s own life).

What to do: If you think that the person is about to act: Stay close until professional help is available.
Take the person to the school’s Counsellor as soon as possible.

If the counselor is unavailable on that day, take the person to the Casualty at the Hospital so that he/she can be evaluated/admitted at the Psychiatric Unit.

If the person has thought about suicide but not about to act, teachers should do the fol- lowing and encourage parents to do the following: Explain that with help and support the person can recover.
Get the person professional help such as going to a Counselor or the Psychiatric Unit of the Hospital.

Listen to the person.

If the person wants to, let him/her unload despair, vent anger, etc.

Don’t try to minimize his/her feelings.

Take his/her feelings seriously and stay calm.

Remove medications, knives, razors and other potential means that someone could use to harm oneself.

Secure these items in a locked box.

Help the person to keep busy and do things which he/she enjoys.
Exercise may also help the person feel better.

If home life is a problem, discuss ways to improve it, for example by getting family counseling.

The family may go away with the person for a while: a change of scene can make a dif- ference.

DON’Ts: Do not try to shock or challenge; Do not analyze the person’s motives; Do not argue or try to reason; Do not punish the person for being suicidal.
Activities that parents, teachers and families can use with their children in isolation Activities should explain the virus and include messages on preventing the spread of the disease but also keep children active when they are not at school, for example: ƒ Hand washing games with rhymes: https://hetv.org/programmes/hand-washing-songs.htm ƒ Stories/Information about the virus: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a- comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/03/13/watch-explaining-coronavirus -to-children-what-is-it-why-are-schools-closed/ ƒ Make cleaning and disinfecting the house into a fun game: https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/834849/8-ways-to-make-cleaning-fun- for-your-kids/  Draw pictures of virus/microbes’ that to be coloured by children: https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/microbiology/microbes-coloring-book-scavenger- hunt Resource Briefing note on addressing mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19 Out- breakVersion 1.0 by Inter-Agency Standing Committee IASC Reference group for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings Breathing Relaxation Techniques Deep Breathing Slowly breathe in through your nose while counting to 6 (1,2,3,4,5,6) Hold your breath to the count of 4 Breathe out/exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of 6 Repeat 3 to 5 times Deep Breathing (with light stream) Slowly breathe in to the count of 3 (1,2,3) Hold for the count of three Breathe out slowly to the count of three Next time, when you breathe out, look for any bad stuff (e.g.
: tension, upsetting thoughts or pictures) When you breathe out imagine the air coming from that place and the bad stuff going out with the exhale So breathe in to the count of 3, then hold for the count of three, then breathe out the bad stuff to the count of three Repeat.

Breathe in to the count of 3, hold, then breathe out the bad stuff to the count of three What colour would make you feel good?
This time when you breathe in, imagine (the colour) light coming in with your breath and going all through you with waves of light.

Repeat deep breathing 3 times 12