COVID 19: Stress and Coping?
Channel: Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs
Date: 02/04/2020

Speaker:              McMillan James 

The world-wide outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19 disease may be stressful for many people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to this outbreak can depend on your background, the things that make you different from other people, and the community you live in.

People who may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis include older people and people with chronic diseases who are at higher risk for COVID-19, children and teens, people who are helping with the response to COVID-19, like doctors, nurses and other health care providers, or first responders. As well, people who have preexisting mental health conditions, the homeless, the vulnerable and people with substance abuse.

The speaker will walk us through the many issues surrounding mental health with particular emphasis on the isolation and loneliness COVID 19 has caused, resulting in extra stress on many families and individuals.