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The COVID-19 pandemic and measures implemented by the United States government to prevent its further spread had a profound effect on society as a whole and every individual within it. The pandemic led to people isolating for extended periods of time without an opportunity to meet with others and being forced to communicate with the world online. This essay will consider how COVID-19 led to a substantial increase in depression in different populations and a similarly critical rise in a variety of addictive behaviors. In addition, the paper aims to examine whether economic inequality is a contributing factor to the development of depression and addictive patterns of behavior.
COVID-19 is positively correlated with the growth of depressive symptoms and can be viewed as the primary cause of depression in persons who have not previously suffered from the condition. According to Ettman et al. (2020), the prevalence of depression among US adults during the pandemic increased three-fold compared to the pre-pandemic statistics. Before COVID-19, approximately 75% of the participants never experienced depressive symptoms, while after the adoption of self-isolation rules and other preventative measures, this number declined to nearly 47% (Ettman et al., 2020). Thus, the pandemic is steadily leading to a mental health crisis with various conditions being aggravated by imposed isolation and stress of the COVID-19 spreading worldwide.
Such habits as smoking, alcohol abuse and excessive internet use can be viewed as coping behaviors that increased due to COVID-19 and the stress associated with it and preventative measures instated by the government. In addition, depression and other mental health disorders, including anxiety, can contribute to the development and exacerbation of addictive behaviors. Research shows that approximately 47% of the surveyed persons became more dependent on internet use, while nearly 17% reported longer hours spent online via different devices during the pandemic (Zvolensky et al., 2020). Moreover, 19% of people relapsed and began drinking alcohol again, with 25% recommencing their smoking habit (Zvolensky et al., 2020). According to Zvolensky et al. (2020), 20% of regular smokers and 32% alcohol drinkers substantially increased the among of alcohol and cigarettes consumed compared to pre-pandemic usage. Overall, the pandemic led to a discernible increase in addictive behaviors, including drinking, smoking, and internet use, that can be explained by people employing them as coping mechanisms to deal with everyday stress.
It should be indicated that economic inequality is a major factor and predictor of increased addictive behaviors and depressive symptoms among adults. Ettman et al. (2020) report that individuals with lower income and few savings are exposed to more stressors than those with medium and high income and more than $5000 in savings. A 50% greater risk for developing depression in persons in the lower income bracket can be explained by the loss of wages and the uncertain economic situation in the country (Ettman et al., 2020). Consequentially, exposure to a greater number of stressors leads to such coping behaviors as alcohol abuse and smoking. The reduction of income is generally correlated with greater alcohol consumption and overall unfavorable lifestyle changes (Petrelli et al., 2018). Similarly, the internet is utilized as a coping strategy by individuals enduring higher levels of stress. Thus, during the pandemic, people with lower incomes experienced depression and increased their addictive behaviors to cope with the stress of COVID-19.
In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic had and continues to have a considerable effect on many people’s physical and mental health and well-being. The pandemic and measures set to limit its spread resulted in a sharp increase in depressive symptoms and addictive behaviors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and excessive internet use among different communities. Notably, people in the lower income bracket were exposed to more stressors and were found to be more susceptible to depression and the development of addictive patterns of behavior.
References
Ettman, C. K., Abdalla, S. M., Cohen, G. H., Sampson, L., Vivier, P. M., & Galea, S. (2020). Prevalence of depression symptoms in US adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 3(9), 1–12.
Petrelli, F., Grappasonni, I., Peroni, A., Kracmarova, L., & Scuri, S. (2018). Survey about the potential effects of economic downturn on alcohol consumption, smoking and quality of life in a sample of Central Italy population.Acta Bio Medica: Atenei Parmensis, 89(1), 93–98.
Zvolensky, M. J., Garey, L., Rogers, A. H., Schmidt, N. B., Vujanovic, A. A., Storch, E. A., Buckner, J. D., Paulus, D. J., Alfano, C., Smits, J. A., & O’Cleirigh, C. (2020). Psychological, addictive, and health behavior implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 134, 1–16.
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