EDITOR’S NOTE: Some of the information in this article may be outdated due to progress in COVID-19 research.

For the last two months, we’ve been ordered to shelter in place to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Though this has helped us “flatten the curve,” it has also been detrimental to mental health.

Normally, spring is a time to celebrate. With sunnier days and warmer weather, seasonal depression begins to fade and we feel optimistic about the coming summer. But 2020 is different. With a dangerous virus swarming the streets, there’s a chance we won’t see as much sunlight this year.

While many states are re-opening their economies and the summer months are bound to see less social distancing, the stay-at-home principles will remain in place. And it’s going to be highly recommended we continue to self-quarantine until we can get this virus under control. The biggest difficulty with this is we don’t know when that control will be in our grasp.

As such, many will continue to struggle with their mental health and the constraints self-isolation is has on us. The purpose of this article is to help individuals combat this loneliness and the depression it brings along.

Why Does Quarantine Lead to Depression?

Quarantines are a common way to keep people safe during a rampant disease. In fact, nearly 700 years ago during the Bubonic Plague, Italy was the first nation to organize self-isolation as a means of helping slow the spread. ¹

Though self-quarantine helps prevent the spread of viruses, it devastates a person’s mental health. The main reason is humans are wired to socialize. We’re sure you’ve heard the saying, “Humans are social animals.”

Self-isolation is not natural and comes with a list of symptoms. When it comes to mandatory quarantines of the past, studies have found people may experience the following: ²

• Abuse of drugs or alcohol
• Aches and pains
• Anxiety
• Boredom
• Cardiovascular stress
• Change in eating habits
• Confusion
• Depression
• Despair and sadness
• Development of compromised immune functions
• Fatigue (physical exhaustion)
• Fears (sometimes, paranoia)
• Hopelessness and helplessness
• Hoarding
• Increased difficulty concentration
• Increased perception of risk
• Increased stress over finances
• Irritability
• Inhibited executive function
• Insomnia
• Numbness
• Post-traumatic stress symptoms
• Somatic experiences
• Stigma worries

When it comes to quarantine and mental health, we all react differently. Some are more susceptible to depression while others can maintain some level of placidity. In many circumstances, the latter may be experiencing high-functioning depression.

Unfortunately, those who had traumatic experiences before quarantine are more likely to struggle in this period of self-isolation. ³ Since this self-quarantine presents itself for the indefinite future, it’s important to understand what we can do to take care of our mental health.

Developing a Healthy Home Environment

It’s agreed upon by the majority of mental health professionals that our living environment plays a large role in depression. In fact, many people have developed the illness simply because their home life is filled with negativity. ⁴

How has your home life been since this quarantine began? Has it been filled with chaos or has it been relaxing? These questions are vital to answer as your living circumstances may be one of the main causes of your depression.

If you currently struggle with your home life, take this as an opportunity to work towards a healthier living environment. What this work entails is different for everyone. For some, it may mean cleaning up around the house and decorating areas to better suit your mentality. For others, this may mean moving out entirely and finding a place where you feel safe and comfortable.

Whichever case you find yourself in, it’s vital to take this one step at a time. Reorganizing your home environment to better fit your mental needs isn’t an easy task. Especially if you’re hit with the burden of starting all over again.

However, your home life is essential to your mental health. Though this quarantine may have furthered your depressive symptoms, there’s no reason you can’t take this as a wake-up call. A time to make a change and promote a positive living environment.

Don’t Be Afraid to Socialize

While it’s recommended people stay home and avoid physical social interactions, this is completely unnatural and something our brains are not going to become comfortable with any time soon.

It’s important to stay as connected as possible to those you care about. Understandably, the risk of COVID-19 shouldn’t be undermined. We should still take precautions when socializing with others. However, circumstances differ for everyone.

For those with compromised immune systems, it’s best to socialize through digital means, such as phone or video calls. Physical social interactions aren’t nearly as dangerous for those who are young and healthy enough. However, they should still be taken with precaution.

A six-foot distance and wearing protective equipment (i.e. face masks) is beneficial to stop the spread. Not to mention, avoidance of any physical contact.

It’s vital to remember that we’re all in this together. You’re not the only one struggling with social isolation and we guarantee those you love and care about will be grateful to hear from you.

Spend Time Outdoors

If you’ve been watching the news, you may be convinced that the great outdoors is dangerous and lurking with the coronavirus. However, you’re more likely to contract a virus indoors where pathogens have easier access. ⁵

Though we’re all concerned about what’s going into our immune system, it’s important to remember bacteria aren’t always bad. The more the body takes in bacteria that present harm, the more the immune system builds a tolerance to pathogens. ⁶

While cleaning surfaces and washing our hands is important to slow the spread of COVID-19, it’s not beneficial to prevent our immune systems from reacting to all harmful pathogens. These things are important to understand because fearing the outdoors detriments your immune system and mental health.

Natural sunlight is essential in battling depression. The sun gives off vitamin D which has been found to help with mood regulation. A study published by the Journal of Internal Medicine found that participants with depression who took a vitamin D supplement noticed significant improvement in their symptoms.

Another perk of the outdoors is it encourages exercise – another great way to help offset symptoms of depression. Even just walking around the neighborhood can increase endorphins. These promote positive moods and a sense of well-being. ⁷

Develop a Routine

Our brains are more comfortable when our lives run in a routine. Of course, this quarantine has thrown a large chunk of the world off of their normal routine, leaving many confused and paranoid.

Now that the dust has settled, you probably already have a quarantine routine. It’s important to ask yourself whether the routine you’ve established is helping or hurting your mental health?

If you’ve spent most of this time doing little to nothing, chances are you’re only fueling your depression.

Since the United States has plans to re-open, there is a lot of hope that our normal routines will be re-established. However, just because the country is re-opening doesn’t mean the virus is leaving. As we’ve already mentioned, self-quarantine will likely be the way of life for some time.

Therefore, it’s important to develop a healthy routine for yourself. This may include developing healthy habits (i.e. getting a full night’s sleep or stretching your body regularly) or creating new positive habits. ⁸

Promote a Hobby

The bottom line is that as this pandemic continues, we’ll spend more time alone than we’re used to. With that, we should look at this as a way to hone in on projects we’ve always wanted to develop.

Whether it’s gardening, reading, playing an instrument, or developing a new computer code – it’s vital to keep our focus on our passions. This is a clear way to help improve ourselves and can give life a purpose we may not have known.

Of course, such passion projects will look different for everyone. And you may find you’re not 100% sure what you’re passionate about. That’s okay.

What’s important is you start exploring. With the advent of the internet, diving into a new hobby has never been so easy. Any information you need is at the tip of your fingers and all it takes to get the ball rolling is a bit of willpower.

Final Word

COVID-19 isn’t going to go away anytime soon. As quarantine progresses, we must keep ourselves socially and individually engaged. We must take control of our quarantine rather than letting quarantine take control of us.

Of course, this will look different for everyone. Now that you’ve read through our thoughts on how to manage depression while self-isolating, you need to consider what you can do to improve your mental health.

References

¹ van Gulik TM. Isolatie en afstand houden in tijden van pest [Isolation and distancing during the plague epidemics]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2020 Dec 3;164:D5440. Dutch. PMID: 33332041.

² Liu X, Kakade M, Fuller CJ, Fan B, Fang Y, Kong J, Guan Z, Wu P. Depression after exposure to stressful events: lessons learned from the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic. Compr Psychiatry. 2012 Jan;53(1):15-23. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.02.003. Epub 2011 Apr 12. PMID: 21489421; PMCID: PMC3176950.

³ Kavoor AR. COVID-19 in People with Mental Illness: Challenges and Vulnerabilities. Asian J Psychiatr. 2020 Jun;51:102051. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102051. Epub 2020 Apr 8. PMID: 32298968; PMCID: PMC7139245.

⁴ Sander JB, McCarty CA. Youth depression in the family context: familial risk factors and models of treatment. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2005 Sep;8(3):203-19. doi: 10.1007/s10567-005-6666-3. PMID: 16151618; PMCID: PMC1352328.

⁵ Prussin AJ 2nd, Garcia EB, Marr LC. Total Virus and Bacteria Concentrations in Indoor and Outdoor Air. Environ Sci Technol Lett. 2015;2(4):84-88. doi: 10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00050. PMID: 26225354; PMCID: PMC4515362.

⁶ Mazziotta C, Tognon M, Martini F, Torreggiani E, Rotondo JC. Probiotics Mechanism of Action on Immune Cells and Beneficial Effects on Human Health. Cells. 2023 Jan 2;12(1):184. doi: 10.3390/cells12010184. PMID: 36611977; PMCID: PMC9818925.

⁷ Craft LL, Perna FM. The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;6(3):104-111. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v06n0301. PMID: 15361924; PMCID: PMC474733.

⁸ Mendelsohn AI. Creatures of Habit: The Neuroscience of Habit and Purposeful Behavior. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Jun 1;85(11):e49-e51. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.978. PMID: 31122343; PMCID: PMC6701929.