‘Pandemic fatigue’ marks a mental health crisis

Anxious, depressed, or exhausted? You’re not alone. A clinical psychologist explains “pandemic fatigue.”

Some experts warn the next pandemic challenge will be to “flatten the mental health curve.”

When widespread lockdowns began across the United States in response to COVID-19, many hoped life would get back to normal in a couple of weeks. Now, four months later, there is still no end in sight for the pandemic, and the resurgence of the virus in many parts of the country has forced businesses that had reopened to close again.

The coronavirus has brought with it a number of stressors—including job losses, social isolation, child care challenges, and general uncertainty—that tax the mental health of millions of people worldwide.

David Sbarra, a clinical psychologist and professor in the psychology department at the University of Arizona, directs the department’s Laboratory for Social Connectedness and Health and studies how human health—both psychological and physical—is tied to our close relationships.

Here, he discusses how the prolonged nature of this unprecedented health crisis might contribute to chronic stress and “pandemic fatigue:”

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