Accelerated Issues
Home is not always the safest place to be. Though survivors of domestic violence have previously been able to flee dangerous situations by staying with trusted family, friends or protective services, safety concerns and precautions introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic present the risk of forcing victims to stay with their abusers. The many complications created by this global outbreak have created severe obstacles preventing these individuals from receiving the help that they need.
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Common resources relied upon by many at-risk parents, such as extended family, childcare, schools, religious groups and other community organizations, face impacted availability in numerous areas. Strains caused by safety concerns have drastically lessened the workers for child-protective organizations, preventing them from providing their necessary services in areas under stay-at-home orders.
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Disease pandemics have historically been associated with grave psychological consequences. Loneliness and isolation often lead to such distress, as many individuals rely on strong social support during difficult times. Social connections play crucial parts in the language of suicide prevention. Experts argue that the more connected people are, the less likely they are to die by suicide. Research also shows that unemployment is a risk factor for suicide. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment has seen a stark increase and more and more individuals have found themselves suddenly forced into a state of joblessness and isolation.
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Prolonged school closings are preventing special needs children from receiving the proper educational treatment. These same closings could lead to a rise in dropouts and juvenile delinquency.
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As the quarantine forces many industries into decline, many corporations and employing bodies are being forced to cut the costs of employing high or low cost employees. These cuts mean that more and more “skilled” and “unskilled” workers are losing their jobs.
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Over long periods of quarantine, a lack of mobility, an increase in inactivity and a rise in the consumption of processed foods can lead to an increase in obesity rates. School closures introduced by pandemic safety concerns are predicted to lead to a noticeable increase in childhood obesity rates.
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A lack of job opportunities and open positions will greatly affect young people and college graduates negatively, limiting their job prospects and financial income. This lack of steady employment presents a risk to their long term mental health issues.
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Oxfam has recently warned that more than half a billion people could be pushed into poverty unless urgent action is taken to bail out poor countries affected by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. 50% of the workforce in Africa and many of the world’s developing countries are projected to lose their jobs, especially workers in the oil and tourism industry.
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Should the virus reach refugee camps and other places where people are already struggling to access health care, sanitation products or food, the impact will become even more devastating. Many camp clinics are already struggling to fight outbreaks such as dengue and cholera, leaving them without the resources they need to treat chronic health conditions. With no vaccine or agreed upon medical treatment regimen in place for COVID-19 or the respiratory disease that it causes, medical experts fear that the impact could be even more devastating.
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As said by Hulkow, “Social support and active involvement in the program both play a huge role in recovery,” In the absence of these, isolation and emotional distress can be significant triggers to relapse. Feelings of depression, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, loneliness and boredom can easily escalate particularly during this time of self-quarantines and pandemic influenced isolation. This time also presents the risk of such substance abuses resulting in overdose, which is interconnected to the suicide rate and mental health implications.
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