Mental Self-Care During Pandemic

Coronavirus is a respiratory virus. Most of the time, this virus causes only minor respiratory infections like the flu. This virus, on the other hand, has the potential to cause severe respiratory infections, such as lung infections (pneumonia). This virus spreads via phlegm (droplets) from the respiratory tract, such as in a crowded closed room with poor air circulation or through direct contact with droplets (Putri, 2021).

In addition to physical health, mental health is also a serious matter and needs to be considered during this Covid-19 pandemic. Individuals with good mental health are free of all symptoms of mental disorders. Thus, the concept of mental health can be defined as the state of an individual who is not affected by external or internal factors in mental conditions. As a result, someone with mental health is less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders (Febria et al., 2021).

Mental health is one of the most important aspects of human life. During the pandemic, the number of students who have problems with mental health increases, such as stress and depression. This is due to virtual learning during the pandemic resulting in a lack of social and interpersonal interaction and also the burden of piling up tasks menumpuk (Febria et al., 2021).

The rising number of adolescent mental health problems, particularly among junior and senior high school students. According to UNICEF, the number of adolescents suffering from mental health issues is rising worldwide. One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is that teenagers have limited space to move.

Tabel Adolescents Mental Health During Covid-19 Pandemic (Rahmayanthi et al., 2021)

According to (Rahmayanthi et al., 2021) research, the majority of teenagers registered as high school/vocational students in the city of Bandung experience psychological problems during the Covid-19 pandemic. Adolescents experience psychological problems related to psychological distress and social dysfunction, such as difficulty concentrating, feeling under pressure, and being unable to enjoy daily activities. Adolescent girls and boys who have changes in sleep hours (either longer or shorter than usual) are more likely to have psychological problems. Thus, during the pandemic adolescent girls need more attention than boys and sleep patterns need to be considered so as not to have an impact on psychological distress and social dysfunction during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Another factor is the amount of student learning load during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought previously offline learning, which was done in classrooms / face-to-face directly in class, online. Changes in online learning models necessitate quick adaptation by schools, teachers, and students, such as the use of online applications, assignments, and online learning situations. This can encourage students to experience mental health. Lack of enthusiasm, decreased appetite, disrupted sleep patterns, and excessive worry are a few examples. Some of these conditions, if they occur repeatedly and continuously, can lead to more serious anxiety, depression, and mental health symptoms (Febria et al., 2021).

What should we do if we are under stress during a pandemic?

Some of the things above are tips that we can do to implement mental self-care during this pandemic. However, if you are suffering from a mental illness that is interfering with your everyday life, don't hesitate to seek help from the closest people or other professionals.

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

Dewi, K. S. (2012). Buku Ajar Kesehatan Mental. Semarang: CV. Lestari Mediakreatif.

Febria, D., Erika, Christian, M., Fitriana, N., Cinthya, L., & Teresa, A. (2021). Edukasi Pentingnya Menjaga Kesehatan Mental Bagi Siswa Selama Pandemi. Prosiding National Conference for Community Service Project (NaCosPro), 3(1).

PUTRI, A. (2021). PENTINGNYA MENJAGA KESEHATAN MENTAL DI TENGAH PANDEMI. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ZGwxi5BXDKkJ:ners.unair.ac.id/site/index.php/news-fkp-unair/30-lihat/1151-pentingnya-menjaga-kesehatan-mental-di-tengah-pandemi+&cd=10&hl=id&ct=clnk&gl=id

Rahmayanthi, D., Moeliono, M. F., & Kendhawati, L. (2021). Adolescents Mental Health During Covid-19 Pandemic. Insight: Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi, 23(1), 91–101. http://ejurnal.mercubuana-yogya.ac.id/index.php/psikologi/article/view/1417