Authors

Presenter(s)

Sydney Lewis Melrose, Hailey Marie Payne

Comments

Presentation: 1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Kennedy Union Ballroom

This project reflects research conducted as part of a course project designed to give students experience in the research process.

Course: MED 480

Files

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Description

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, the world was forced into isolation in hopes to stop this new virus from spreading and infecting millions of people. However, the social isolation orders that were put into place are associated with significant declines in mental health (Walsh, 2021). The psychological consequences of isolation are commonly known as anxiety and panic, obsessive compulsive symptoms, insomnia as well as depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress (Pietrabissa, 2020). When surveying 950 Americans, Walsh (2021) found that 36 percent of respondents had reported feeling lonely “frequently” or “all of the time”. Strikingly, 61 percent of the Americans in this survey aged 18 to 25, reported high levels of loneliness. Loneliness in and of itself can be described as the state of isolation or being without company. This state can be a miserable feeling and is a risk factor for many mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, and chronic stress (Banerjee, 2020). The purpose of this poster is to summarize research which investigates the impacts of social isolation and provide possible solutions to combat and reduce the negative effects of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication Date

4-20-2022

Project Designation

Course Project

Primary Advisor

Kathleen C. Scheltens

Primary Advisor's Department

Premedical Programs

Keywords

Stander Symposium project, College of Arts and Sciences

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being

The Effect of Social Isolation on Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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