Essential Question: How are the limitations on exercise and physical activity during the coronavirus pandemic impacting mental health?

Recently, I have been trying to focus my senior project research on the mental health aspect of my question. While I feel like I have been getting a good understanding of how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting and limiting people’s ability to exercise, it has been a bit more difficult to learn about how this is impacting mental health, and how mental health services, treatment plans, etc. are being impacted in general. The article that I chose is called, “When Mental Distress Comes Home.” It discusses how individuals with mental illnesses, especially those who were staying in in-patient treatment facilities and have had to return home, are coping with the coronavirus pandemic. It also talked a lot about how their families have had to take on extra roles and responsibilities that they aren’t used to or qualified for, and the stress that this can cause on family dynamics. Many individuals have taken advantage of the increased availability of tele-medicine and tele-therapy. However, there are certain federal restrictions on this practice that makes it difficult for everyone to have access to these resources. Overall, the article helped me understand that with the increased emphasis and focus on physical health, mental health treatment and resources have been somewhat pushed to the back burner.

This article helped me understand how mental health is being impacted by coronavirus on a clinical level. While I had previously focus on added stress and anxiety on individuals who do not suffer from mental illness, this article helped me understand the topic from a different perspective. It also made me think about the research that I have done on how exercise can benefit mental health, specifically for individuals with diagnosed mental illnesses. Many researchers are currently studying and testing the use of exercise as part of a treatment plan for mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. They have found that exercise can help by providing psychological benefits, such as a sense of accomplishment or increased self esteem, help patients manage panic attacks more effectively and by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain, which is the neurotransmitter that is targeted by anti-depressants. After reading this article, I found myself thinking about how, especially now that mental health resources cannot function as usual, exercise can be used as a tool to manage mental health issues. While individuals and families will still need additional support, such as therapy or medications, exercise might be able to alleviate some of the additional stress and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Especially since exercise is self sufficient, can be done from home, and there are options that are suited for everyone, it seems like a good option for everyone to incorporate into their lives right now. 

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/health/coronavirus-mental-health.html

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise