According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the psychiatric guidebook known more commonly by the acronym “DSM,” a person must experience the symptoms of social anxiety for a six-month period in order to be officially diagnosed with social anxiety.
As the nation enters its eighth month of partial lockdown, the COVID-19 pandemic has potentially created a new class of clinically anxious people that did not exist before the virus came to America.
Many facets of the pandemic, from the stark isolation of quarantine for those infected to the stresses of online schooling, have led to general increases in diagnosed mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, as shown by a series of studies from the Centers for Disease Control.
Leticia Flores, director of the UT Psychological Clinic, believes this rise in mental health concerns may have something to do with the fact that most life rhythms from before COVID have been thrown off, creating days and moments that all slide into one critical mass of Zoom calls and canceled social events.
“I’d say that most students’ and colleagues’ mental health have been negatively affected by quarantine and isolation,” Flores said. “The days of walking to and from class or meetings, or meeting with friends and co-workers over coffee are sorely missed, because such routines allowed them to have a ‘hard reset’ in their minds between tasks, and social contact was something they took for granted but really valued. Eye strain, mental fatigue, sleep difficulties, poor time management, diffuse anxiety and mood problems are frequently mentioned by students and colleagues.”
Flores is also clear in noting, however, that the effects of the pandemic on mental health have not been negative for all people.
“Interestingly, we’ve seen some individuals who seem to have benefitted a little psychologically from the pandemic,” Flores said. “Some of those people who are naturally more introverted, or who seemed to suffer from anxiety or depression that stemmed from ‘burning the candle at both ends,’ are finding some peace and balance with the pandemic.”
This question of which people the pandemic benefits and which people it harms has been particularly perplexing in a time when some introverts and online retailers are thriving, even as millions yearn for a return to normal life.
Maggie Meystrik, a sophomore studying psychology, acknowledges that the word “unprecedented” is overused in 2020, but says it’s the best term to describe this moment in the world of psychology.
“It is truly an unprecedented time for mental health, because I know some people who you could say are somewhat predisposed to depression who are thriving in the era of online classes and mask wearing and isolation, and I also know people who for all their lives have been pretty mentally healthy who are suddenly finding themselves struggling,” Meystrik said. “So there’s not a guidebook for how this should be affecting people or factors that should make you more predisposed or not, because we just don’t know.”
But though COVID has mixed effects on individuals, it is clear that at the national level, it has been a drag on collective morale and has increased rates of anxiety and depression.
Meystrik, a member of the Haslam Scholars Program, says that COVID is a uniquely potent aggravator of social anxiety, since it largely prohibits the one thing that traditionally helps those struggling with anxiety.
“The irony of all of this, and social anxiety specifically is that, at least from a cognitive behavioral perspective in psychology, exposure to other people is like the one thing we’re not supposed to do right now, but also the one thing that is supposed to help people overcome social anxiety,” Meystrik said. “That’s classically what helps people overcome this sort of thing, and that route is unavailable right now.”
There is also the fear that COVID, having greatly diminished the amount of in-person social interactions we are able to experience, could be making us socially awkward.
“Social anxiety is fear of our own inadequacy in a social situation and COVID really preys on that, cause it’s making us afraid that we’re forgetting how to interact and that we’re getting out of practice with it,” Meystrik said. “I had my own bout with corona and had to seriously isolate for a long time and coming out of that, I’m a pretty social person, I’m very extroverted, but the first time I went and saw my friends again, I was afraid I wouldn’t know how to interact with them.”
In the meantime, while social muscles atrophy and mental health problems are on the rise, what can the UT community do to help improve the situation?
For one thing, students can begin taking advantage of all the mental health resources that are available to them on campus, says Ashley Martinez, a staff psychologist at the UT Counseling Center.
“For students who find themselves negatively impacted by quarantine or isolation, please know that you are not alone,” Martinez said. “Many folks, including students and staff alike, have been impacted by the pandemic and want to support your wellness and success. Campus resources, like the Student Counseling Center, focus solely on student needs and are typically just a phone call away.”
Martinez says that students who are currently in quarantine or are self-isolating and need support can use the Counseling Center’s telecounseling service.
The Counseling Center can be reached at 865-974-2196 or [email protected]. The Center also has a 24/7 crisis hotline, 865-974-HELP. If there is an immediate threat to a person’s safety, students should call 911.
In addition to campus resources, Martinez also encourages students to rediscover whatever sense of community they may have lost over the course of the pandemic, even if that means utilizing online social platforms.
“It may also help to find your own sense of community – your roommates, your classmates, your family, your campus club members, your social media friends or your therapy group,” Martinez said. “It’s important to connect with others, even if that connection has to happen over virtual mediums. There are a lot of virtual events and opportunities still available on campus to help with that.”
Meystrik, for her part, believes that the most important form of social responsibility right now falls on those who are not experiencing an increase in anxiety or depression.
“If you know someone who is struggling, or if you know someone who has struggled in the past, reach out to them, especially if you’re feeling mentally healthy right now,” Meystrik said. “That can mean a lot, and the first time that they say, ‘yeah, I’m doing alright,’ don’t take that answer, you know, continue if you’re genuinely concerned and caring for the person. I think reaching out is more important than ever right now.”
From health experts and students alike, the message about mental health in the time of COVID is simple yet profound: Don’t lose your relationships when you need them the most.
