Coronavirus: People must prepare for mental toll of self-isolation, psychologist warns

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As more cities around the world go into full lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a psychologist and pandemic expert has warned people to prepare for the mental toll of prolonged isolation.

Dr Steven Taylor, author of the Psychology of Pandemics, described drastic measures calling on people to stay home and avoid contact with other people as “the next big issue in the unfolding pandemic” in an interview with The Independent.

“People really need to prepare for self-isolation. It’s not enough to stock up on toilet paper. They need to think about what they are going to do to combat boredom. Because it’s important on a community scale that people adhere to self-isolation,” said Dr Taylor, who is a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia.

His comments come as Italy placed the entire country on lockdown on Monday, forcing everyone to stay at home and allowing only essential travel. Spain and France have followed suit with severe restrictions in recent days. On Sunday, New York ordered bars and restaurants closed and suspended school for some 1.1 million students.

Experts say the measures will help slow the spread of the virus and prevent healthcare systems from becoming overloaded. The failure to heed expert guidance to stay home was seen as a major factor in Italy’s high number of infections. Failure to properly prepare —both practically and mentally — could cause the plan to fail.

"For example, if you're self-isolating with your spouse or partner in a tiny flat, you might have a conversation about what to do if you get on each other's nerves. That is, discussing the issue ahead of time, when everyone is calm.

“The downside of not preparing for self-isolation is that the experience may be unnecessarily stressful or boring, and you might need to break isolation. Breaking isolation defeats the purpose,” he added.

“Adherence is going to be better if they find a way of making it less boring and less stressful. They need to be proactive about that.”

In Italy, where the lockdown has been most severe, Italians have passed the time by singing from their windows and balconies.

There is also the possibility of a backlash to state-enforced isolation orders. In the US, a number of reports of people infected with the coronavirus breaking quarantines have already emerged. One man in Missouri reportedly broke quarantine to attend a father-daughter dance while waiting for the results of a coronavirus test for his other daughter. She was later found to be positive.

And many are sceptical of the need for self-isolation as a means of stopping the spread. Even some lawmakers have mocked calls for people to stay home.

That scepticism appears to have become a partisan issue: according to a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released on Sunday only 30 percent of Republicans plan to stop attending large-scale gatherings, compared to 61 percent of Democrats.

As well as the mental toll of increased anxiety during times of crisis, there are also fears that self-isolation could particularly lead to a rise in loneliness for people living alone.

Elderly people, who are at an increased risk of harm from the coronavirus, may be asked to stay home for several months under plans announced by UK health secretary Matt Hancock.

That led one woman from Cornwall to design a postcard that can be dropped through the letterboxes of those in most need of help during the outbreak.

The postcard offers help with errands such as shopping, collecting urgent supplies — or something as simple as a friendly chat on the phone.