COVID-19 stress still here. Here are psychologist's tips on how to handle it

MANILA, Philippines — Although the COVID-19 crisis is no longer a global health emergency, said the World Health Organization (WHO), WHO said last Friday that nearly 337 million life years were lost in the two first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of people died prematurely, with seven million officially reported and believed to be closer to 20 million in actual figures.

The pandemic has wreaked global devastation and officially killed nearly seven million people, with the true figure believed to be closer to 20 million. According to WHO’s data up to 2022, about 14.9 million people actually likely died due to the crisis over that period, and during those two years alone, COVID-19 resulted in the loss globally of 336.8 million years that otherwise would have been lived.

"It's like losing 22 years of life for every excess death," Samira Asma, WHO's assistant chief for data and analytics, told reporters.

“COVID-19 is still with us, it still kills, it's still changing and it still demands our attention,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month.

For those who were able to survive the pandemic, another problem hounds. According to Dr. Angel Dy, Assistant Professor at the Ateneo de Manila University’s School of Medicine and Public Health, the psychosocial effects of the lockdowns imposed at the height of the pandemic can still be felt.

“The pandemic has made relational interactions challenging,” Dy bared in a talk at the recent launch of Lego Group and Lazada’s LazMall Super Brand Day. 

“Nabasa naman natin sa news, ‘di ba? Kaka-call-off lang ng pandemic. Hindi ibig sabihin na wala na ‘yung COVID, nand’yan pa s’ya. Pero ang effect ng lockdown – ‘yun – malaking stress s’ya!” 

During the pandemic, the Filipino close family ties culture has been challenged, causing psychosocial disruption among many families. Filipinos were used to having many kids in a community, where kids live together or near their cousins. But during the pandemic, everyone, most especially children, had nowhere to go to but home.

“Before pandemic, nakakalabas tayo at nakakapag-play… Meron tayong tao na nakakausap at nakaka-interact. Sa interaction na ‘yun, natututo tayo,” Dy explained. “Pero ang nangyari kasi noong nag-lockdown, kumonti ang interactions.”

Less social interactions, said Dy, citing research, affect the emotional quotient (EQ) and stress levels of everyone, especially children. So even if much of the world has opened up, people are still adjusting to being with many people again.

“Ang social connections before and after the pandemic medyo binabaybay pa.”

Dy said people’s anxiety of getting infected is still there and this anxiety causes either tolerable or toxic stress to anyone of any age.

“Pero as toxic or tolerable stress, depende s’ya sa atin, kung papa’no tayo mag-addjust, kung papano natin matutulungan ‘yung mga bata, at kung papa’no natin matutulungan ‘yung isa’t-isa.”

A way to cope with the pandemic’s lingering stress is through promoting social interaction especially among kids little by little, advised Dy. 

“Family is key! Kasi kung hindi natin mabigay sa social situations, sa family muna natin binibigay sa kanila. Damihan muna natin sana ‘yung mga times na may nakakausap, may nakakalaro ‘yung mga anak natin," she suggested.

“Toys can be a medium for kids to talk about their problems and stress,” she said, sharing a formula on how to encourage kids to open up using toys: OWL (“observe” what they’re doing, “wait” to see if they really need you, and “listen” to what they say and act on it).

“Toys such as Lego, toys such as blocks, these are toys that children can grow up with and play in different ways,” she said.

During the LazMall Super Brand Day last May 18, e-commerce site Lazada hosted a Lego Play Workshop facilitated by Bahay Turo with theme “Dream it, Build it,” where Bahay Turo’s play experts showed how parents and kids can use toys like Lego to develop skills and values. — With reports from Agence France-Presse

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