Socio-Psycho Impact of Lockdown
Socio-Psycho Impact of Lockdown
-Shalvi Dey
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”- Charles Darwin
In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to be a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ following which it was eventually categorized as a pandemic in March, 2020. The novel coronavirus was first detected in December, 2019 in the Wuhan Hubei Province of China and is by far one of the most escalating and destructive outbreaks since the Spanish Flu of 1918. The COVID-19 pandemic has been on a rapid climb since it was first detected and has taken a catastrophic toll on more than half of the population of the world. To fight the growing challenge posed by the current pandemic as well as to ensure human well-being, countries across the world along with the WHO have been adopting different socio-economic and health measures.
To keep a tight rein on the spread of the coronavirus in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24, 2020 called for a strategic “nation-wide lockdown” all the while adhering to the guidelines provided by the WHO urging citizens to practice social and physical distancing. With more than sixty days into the national lockdown, India is now reaching a close of its fourth phase of the lockdown.
The current lockdown is posing substantial changes for people from different walks of life including students, migrant workers/labourers, the elderly people, the working class, patients with chronic illness, homemakers so on and so forth. While efforts and progress in responding to the pandemic is being made undeniably, all too often the social as well as the psychological impact on citizens is overlooked when such response measures are executed. Response measures like the lockdown and social distancing which include shutting down of various work places, educational institutions, entertainment places etc, have very differential effects on different kinds of citizens. This article seeks to throw light on such socio-psycho impact of the nationwide lockdown on different classes of people.
While the economic impact of the lockdown on the society is well perceived, too little is understood of the social and psychological effect this response measure is having on the 135 crore people of India who have been held in a state of nationwide lockdown since 24 March 2020. Over a long period of time, humans have evolved to be social creatures wired to live in interactive and socialising groups. Sudden act of isolation from their close ones including family members, friends, colleagues etc, can be quite unbalancing and traumatizing for a lot of people and can consequently result in short as well as long-term psychological and physical health problems. The current lockdown can thus pave way for an increase in levels of anxiety, aggression, depression, and other unstable mental conditions amongst various people. Personal relationships help us cope with stress, and if we lose this outlet for letting off steam, it results in a huge emotional void which, for an average person, is difficult to deal with.
As discussed earlier, the psycho-social impact of the lockdown hits differently to different classes of people. While staying with your family for an elongated time period with almost no social outing might come up as a healthy idea for many, it is after all not always a sunny picture for everyone. For instance, it can be extremely domineering and claustrophobic for a large number of low-income families herded together in compact single-room housings. Children in such situations or families are not always fortunate enough to have access to new-age technologies, electronic games or even books to keep them self-indulged and entertained. In another example, there exist several dysfunctional families with an unbalanced social and personal life. This may include oppressive, over-bearing or alcoholic partners, incompatible siblings or parents which make staying at home for such a long time a period of constant inconvenience. As an inevitable result, instances of suicide cases/attempts, domestic violence has shown a nationwide increase. In fact as per current statistics, since the past two months Google searches about “self-help and therapies” have gone up strikingly.
While the nationwide lockdown is primarily a positive step aimed to curb the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, it seems like its creating inequalities, as well as exacerbating the pre-existing social inequalities that were already experienced in the pre-pandemic India. The unfortunate situations brought about by the pandemic has perturbed the working conditions of the migrant labourers and daily wage workers to a great extent so much so that they have been forced to take unbelievable measures mostly on their own in order to ensure their safety. It is important to understand that this section of the society i.e. the migrant labourers and the daily wage workers are one of the most vulnerable people who mostly lack basic education and knowledge about the existing laws etc, and are often deprived of their basic rights and safety. In the era of this nationwide lockdown, these poor labourers and daily wage workers are the worst hit and struggling for their bread-and-butter in the absence of regular work. Their safety has only been ensured in black and white while in reality they have been treated inhumanly and forced to take severe measures like walking barefoot for miles towards their hometowns with little no food. Along with the physical and social distress, the current lockdown has brought enormous psychological pressure to them which are often overlooked and beyond our imagination.
It seems that this social distancing and lockdown situation is triggering people even more than the scare of the deadly virus. People all over the country are getting highly restive and frustrated in spite of the easily accessible social media connectivity which manifests the importance of physical social interactions and daily outings for entertainment purposes so on and so forth. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made all round and earnest efforts to not only curtail the spread of the coronavirus but also to maintain and uplift the spirits of the citizens all over. This has come in the form of “clapping of utensils or any other tool” to show solidarity and respect towards all the health workers including doctors, nurses etc, and the police workers all over the country and “lighting up of diyas or candles” which in turn unified the whole nation like no other time.
To sum up, this current period of pandemic caused by the deadly coronavirus is a testing period for all of us as not only individuals but also as responsible citizens of the country. It is necessary now, more than ever to be socially responsible and act unanimously to get through this crucial time period.
References:-
1.Ranjit Powar, \'Psycho-Social Impact Of The Covid Lockdown\' (Tribuneindia News Service, 2020) <https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/psycho-social-impact-of-the-covid-lockdown-69316>
2.Dr. Prachee Javedkar and Dr. Harshada V. Kannur, \'The Social Impact Of COVID-19 On India\' (Sakaltimes.com, 2020) <https://www.sakaltimes.com/opinion/social-impact-covid-19-india-49313>
