There is a high possibility that people might be feeling an unprecedented level of anxiety or stress at the moment. One thing that people should keep in mind is that they are not alone in this, as anxiety and increased stress is a normal reaction to have when it comes to a difficult situation, such as during the current Coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, the Willingness Team - a multidisciplinary team of professionals who offer services related to family sex and health - gave an explanation on the toll that these trying times have on people’s mental health and the different ways that people can cope with it.

The professionals forming the Willingness Team, who come from diverse professional backgrounds, have come together to provide assistance to the community via their Facebook page’s chat, where professionals are responding to questions and supporting individuals.

“It is likely that there will be more people who have anxiety attacks during this time, particularly because it is a situation that constantly changes, and therefore we are dealing with constant changes which may make us feel unstable,” the team said.

The Malta Independent asked the team how this ever-growing pandemic is affecting people from different age groups, specifically children, young adults, the middle-aged and the elderly.

The team explained that children are likely to be affected for a lot of reasons, namely by the fact that there is a massive change of routine, between schools, extracurricular activities and not being able to meet friends and also family.

“If parents do not offer reassurance, or do not explain what is going on in a way they can understand, children may also develop stress and anxiety because they will realise that something is happening, and they can also feel the anxiety around them, particularly from their parents.”

They pick up on these signals through even the smallest of changes, such as that previously their parents may have limited their access to technology, and now it is suddenly the main resource, main tool, and main form of entertainment.

Young adults are impacted particularly depending on what stage of their life they were in before the pandemic.

“Whether they were on their way to start their O-levels, whether they were midway through a course, whether they were starting to make progress in an exciting job, now all of this has stalled until further notice. Therefore, young adults may feel anxious and stressed about how their lives will progress, and if COVID-19 will stall any of their progress,” the team explained.

With regards to middle-aged people, there are a variety of different reasons as to why they would be negatively impacted. Some may have increased stress about their parents, whether they are in isolation, in a home, sick or healthy. Additionally, there is increased pressure if they have children and are concerned for their safety and also taking care of their children at home, with limited support.

At the other end, they might also be experiencing increased stress relating to their job, particularly if they have their own business which may have been forced to close shop, or if they fear being made redundant by employers who have taken a hit from forced closure.

When it comes to the elderly, they may struggle with increased loneliness because of social distancing and the definite increased fear for their health status, particularly when the media has regularly shared that COVID-19 is most detrimental for the elderly.

The team explained that “the elderly may feel the change in routine far more than children, particularly because they may have less access to technology or be more resistant to socialising through online platforms, and this may increase social isolation.”

Having said all this, the team emphasised that everyone is all the same when it comes to experiencing the unknown and being faced with increased anxiety, stress and fear “of the fact that we are battling a virus that is forcing us to change and adapt our lives in various ways to stay safe.”

“Our age does not make a difference with our ability to cope, but what makes a difference is our level of resilience, and this is something we should focus on.”

Resilience is the ability to adapt to life’s most adverse situations and misfortunes and during a time like this there are a number of ways one can resilient, starting with adapting to what is happening around us.

“It is useless to focus on what you can’t do and what you lost. You need to focus on what can be done with the resources at hand,” the team explained. “If the gym closed down, find a Youtube or Facebook video and follow their workout. If you miss meeting your friends set up group calls so you can still hang out at such a difficult time.”

“It is important to stay connected with others and nowadays we are lucky enough to have all sorts of ways of staying in touch. We need to take advantage of this by checking in on friends and relatives and spend time with people who are reassuring and positive. Humour helps a lot too. It’s ok to joke and share Coronavirus jokes,” they added.

Another way of staying resilient is to make use of our time wisely such as by completing tasks that we’ve been postponing for a long time or preparing for potential lockdown, the team said. This will serve as a distraction from overthinking and limit our access to social media which is rampant with negative updates. 

“Some already tried this last weekend but didn’t manage to get out of bed, or off the sofa,” the team pointed out. “However, that’s because we were still in shock. The energy will come back soon and it’s important that we have lists to see to, when it does.”

This is also a time to be proactive by being creative in dealing with problems that this experience brought with it. For example, businesses should take this time to think of creative ways to maintain their sales whilst helping your community, the team added.

Last but certainly not least, one should also focus on what they are learning from this experience is teaching which will serve as a reminder that this too shall pass – “if you focus on the life lessons and skills you’ll learn in surviving this, you are reminding yourself that this is not the end but a new chapter in your life.”

The Willingness Team has been collaborating on various resources, such as blogs, to offer as much information and resources in support of the mental health of all the individuals in the community.

For anyone seeking support, you can message the WillingnessTeam Facebook chat with #COVID. WillingnessTeam Professionals are also offering online therapy, and support.  They can be contacted through [email protected] or 79291817.