Regularizing daily routines for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

摘要

The SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, though far from concluded, has already had an enormous psychological [1] and economic [2] impact on over half of the world’s countries and regions. Everyday life can actually be seen as the fundamental context for resilience during trauma and chronic stress [3]. In response to the pandemic, different forms of lockdown, quarantine, and social/physical distancing have restricted interactions both within and across regions and countries. This has threatened basic livelihoods and mobility, reduced interpersonal interactions, and led to new workforce patterns and the suspension of schools and higher education. These changes in major life domains resemble the functional impairment consequential to mental disorders such as depression and place a large number of people at greater risk of poor mental health. In the latest published guidelines on mental health and psychological aspects of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) [4] suggests regular activities for children confined at home and new routines for vulnerable adults, including those who are older and /or with chronic health conditions. This advice is reflected in advice by Governments in the UK (PHE), the US (CDC), and elsewhere.