Trauma Associated with Covid-19

Abstract

With the sudden emergence of Coviid-19, which has changed lives globally, traumatic experiences have increased among adults and children. The trauma has been caused by trying to overcome the fear and distress created by Covid-19. Trauma symptoms manifest themselves differently in people. If trauma is untreated, it can continue even after the pandemic is eradicated. Australia was among the countries which were able to control Covid-19 at its first appearance but was afterward hit by the second wave.Covid-19 has had economic and social impacts, which have led to health fears, social dislocation, and loss of employment(Chen et al., 2020). Nurses and doctors who are working to fight the pandemic are highly exposed to psychological distress due to working under pressure and having a long working duration. There is a need to treat and control trauma associated with Covid-19 to avoid long-term effects. You can cope with trauma through medication, listening to music, and exercises. If trauma brings up feelings and memories is right to confront them.

Introduction to character and Covid-19

Ailsa works as a nurse and a shift worker and is overworked as a nurse. She is an oncology nurse but has been seconded to covid-19 wards. As a frontline nurse, she is at risk of overworking, covid-19 infection, and trauma caused by the morbidity of covid-19 patients. Due to the increasing number of pandemic patients, PPE is becoming inadequate; hence the risk of getting infected has increased. Ailsa's past traumatic experience when young can be risen by the trauma and distress she is experiencing during this pandemic, which increases her chances of being mentally unstable. The traumatic experience can also serve as a reason she will feel unaffected by the trauma at hand if she has healed completely from it and is now more robust. Hospitals and frontline health workers' ability to recover from the damages caused by the pandemic depends on the preparation of a particular hospital. Because Covid-19 appeared suddenly, it was impossible for many countries to prepare, especially if a second wave hit the country. Nurses' stability has been significantly affected as they are working for long hours with a disease they are unfamiliar with(Nowicki t al., 2020). It is evident that Ailsa has developed ways of coping with trauma caused by the pandemic as she goes for Yoga, has a social life, and she has joined a mindfulness group.

Trauma risk and protective factors for character and outcomes and treatment options

Trauma is a distressing experience beyond someone’s ability to cope; it can affect someone's mental stability in the long term(Krupnik, 2019). If the traumatic experience continues without trying to manage it, it can lead to long term effects. Ailsa has a traumatic history of loss, rape, torture, and the cycle of violence. She saw some of her family members being killed during civil wars and her village being destroyed. The past traumatic experiences put Ailsa at risk of getting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). The present traumatic experience working in the Covid-19 wards can bring about adverse effects from the previous trauma. Covid-19 is causing deaths that may awaken the memories of Ailsa’s loss of family members. A history of rape tends to increase the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder by over 50% as it lowers a person’s self-esteem(Kessler et al.,2017). Ailsa is an oncology nurse but is now working in a covid-19 ward. She has no experience in such an award, and she is working under pressure, although the sudden change of the working area is likely to cause trauma. Considering that she also works as a shift worker, she is at a high risk of being distressed due to overworking.

Talking or writing about traumatic experiences is an essential skill in coping with trauma and preventing the effects of trauma. Ailsa can use her social life network to talk about the distress she is experiencing at work and will also find a shoulder to lean on, which will help ease the effects. Considering that she lives alone, the social network will help her free herself by concentrating on other things. The social network will also help her get people with the same experiences, and while sharing with them, she will find relief (Taylor et al. 2020). The feeling of being alone will disappear. Ailsa is also very optimistic about eliminating the trauma that she experiences by developing good coping skills like going to yoga classes and has recently joined a mindfulness group. Yoga provides a calming effect that that can also be provided by music. Yoga helps also get vibrant energy that will help cope with the long working hours in the wards and as a shift worker by increasing Ailsa's energy levels. It will also be essential for Ailsa to take a few days off to take care of her mental health. Effects of trauma may not be visible during the experience but manifest afterward after returning to everyday life. Ailsa's faith is also a stronghold that enables her to persevere the pandemic's impacts and help others.

Prolonged trauma with no treatment can cause unpleasant memories, pain, low self-esteem, flashbacks, and insomnia(Nadal,2018). One can also lose their memory entirely if the events are not always relieved. Someone experiencing trauma effects may also feel that life will not get to normal hence considering suicide. Medication, together with psychotherapy, will work to curb the impact of trauma. Therapy is useful in restoring lost esteem, improving the symptoms, and even developing skills to help cope with trauma at hand and even one that may occur in the future. In the therapy sessions, the traumatic experience's narration and confronting the thing that reminds you of the experience will be essential in the healing process. Ailsa will have to face her past traumatic experiences before dealing with the present trauma. Anti-anxiety drugs, selective serotonin medications will relieve and heal the effects of trauma. Acknowledging that healing from traumatic experiences will take time will also be crucial in the healing process. In the case study, Ailsa will need to treat the past traumatic experience and develop standard ways of coping with the traumatizing situation.

Conclusion

According to surveillance risk of suicide, morbidity, and psychological distress have increased since the emergency of Covid-19. Ailsa is at a chance of getting PTSD as the environment and condition she is working at exposes her trauma. Millions of people have been infected with the virus, and also millions have died from the pandemic. Health care workers taking care of the patients that eventually die and their families experience a lot of trauma due to the losses. A parallel mental health pandemic has emerged as a result of the trauma associated with Covid-19. The severity of the trauma is being increased by the anxiety of not knowing the future of the pandemical workers reported with stress, anxiety, and insomnia, which are effects of trauma. The health workers are also living with the fear of getting infected due to lack of proper PPE as some of their colleagues have already been infected, and some even died.

There is a need for the health sector and the government to consider providing mental health treatment for the health workers, increasing the workers to avoid overworking the doctors and nurses and giving them off days to take care of their mental health. Therapy and medical treatments can serve to heal traumatized individuals. If someone has a history of untreated traumatic experience, they are most likely to be more affected if they experience a traumatic experience in the future. Developing coping skills through therapy will help prevent being negatively affected if one shares a traumatic experience(Nadal, 2018). Not all people have experienced trauma, as some are creating fortunes out of the pandemic. As health workers take care and treat Covid-19 patients, they may develop posttraumatic growth that will positively affect their lives.

References

Krupnik, V. (2019). Trauma or adversity?.  Traumatology ,  25 (4), 256.

Chen, R., Sun, C., Chen, J. J., Jen, H. J., Kang, X. L., Kao, C. C., & Chou, K. R. (2020). A Large‐Scale Survey on Trauma, Burnout, and Posttraumatic Growth among Nurses during the COVID‐19 Pandemic.  International journal of mental health nursing .

Nowicki, G. J., Ślusarska, B., Tucholska, K., Naylor, K., Chrzan-Rodak, A., & Niedorys, B. (2020). The severity of traumatic stress associated with COVID-19 pandemic, perception of support, sense of security, and sense of meaning in life among nurses: research protocol and preliminary results from Poland.  International journal of environmental research and public health ,  17 (18), 6491.

Kessler, R. C., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Bromet, E. J., Cardoso, G., ... & Koenen, K. C. (2017). Trauma and PTSD in the WHO world mental health surveys.  European journal of psych traumatology ,  8 (sup5), 1353383.

Taylor, S., Landry, C. A., Paluszek, M. M., Rachor, G. S., & Asmundson, G. J. (2020). Worry, avoidance, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive network analysis.  Journal of anxiety disorders ,  76 , 102327.

Nadal, K. L. (2018).  Microaggressions and traumatic stress: Theory, research, and clinical treatment .