Going Mad Over Covid By Brian Simpson
Having solved the Queensland balcony crisis, let us turn to another important issue. There is a growing concern about the mental health aspects of the Covid crisis, not just lockdowns, but with the stress associated with a disruption to life styles. Thus, I wonder how society will cope in the future when many more of these pandemics occur, some released from leaking labs, some open bioweapon attacks, and still others, the revenge of Mother Nature, and all dwarfing Covid in their effects? I have a feeling that things are going medieval, if not new Dark Age. Anyway, we have enough problems to deal with for the time, so I suggest that crises take a ticket, and wait their turn in the disaster line. Say, how about a genetically engineered neo-vaccine to deal with mental health issues, maybe one full of nanobots, to rewire neural circuits? I will email my mate at the Gates, Bill, and see what he thinks. I am sure he and the boys could whip something up in record, if not warp speed, time. It could be tested on Joe Birdman Biden.
“One in five Australians are reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress linked to the Covid 19 pandemic, with young people, women and those living with a disability the most affected by poor mental health.
A survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics into the household impact of Covid-19 also reveals that the recent Victorian outbreak led to a surge in psychological distress with almost a third of people in the state reporting feelings associated with depression and anxiety compared with 18% in the rest of Australia.
The findings come as the NSW and federal governments announced on Monday a joint $17m mental health package aimed at supporting people affected by the greater Sydney lockdown, which was extended by at least two weeks on Wednesday.
The latest survey, which tracked how the Covid 19 pandemic was affecting Australians in June before the Sydney lockdown, finds that about 28% of adults reported feeling “nervous” in the previous four weeks. This is the highest level in six months, but below the 45.7% reporting the same at the height of the extended Victorian lockdown in August last year.
The survey took place just as the most recent Victorian lockdown ended, and as New South Wales began implementing new Covid restriction measures in some areas, such as mandatory face mask requirements.
Almost one in three (30%) younger Australians aged between 18 and 34 experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in June 2021, compared with 18% of people aged 35 to 64 years and 10% of people older than 65.
Women were more likely to suffer feelings of depression and anxiety than men – 23% compared with 17% – and those people living with a disability were almost twice as likely to report high levels of distress than those without – 29% compared with 17%.
In announcing the mental health package on Tuesday, the government said the pandemic continued “to take a significant mental health toll on Australians, with increased stress, anxiety and depression in our communities”.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has also found that young people have experienced greater mental health distress and job losses during Covid-19, with professor Pat McGorry saying the pandemic has compounded existing feelings of insecurity.
The ABS survey has also tracked how people feel about life “returning to normal”, with people becoming more pessimistic over the last six months while Australia’s troubled vaccine rollout has been in the spotlight.
One in four people (26%) now believe life in Australia will take more than a year to return to normal, compared with one in seven people (14%) in November 2020.”
But, what is “normal,” anymore? This is going to be a psychic time bomb, set to explode down the time track.
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