Mental Health – Experts concerned about increase in panic attacks due to Corona


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Depressive moods, anxiety and panic attacks: experts report worrying consequences of the pandemic, which affect young people in particular. They warn of consequential damage.

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Daniel Graf

Daniel Krahenbuehl

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  • Anxiety disorder and panic attacks are on the rise in the pandemic — especially among young people.

  • Experts are concerned about the increasing mental stress. Offers of help are reaching their limits.

  • Roger Staub, Managing Director of the Pro Mente Sana Foundation, calls for rapid action: “It cannot be that we save the economy with billions, but do nothing about mental health.”

“Suddenly I couldn’t breathe anymore, it felt like someone was sitting on my lungs.” That’s what influencer Mimoza said recently in an Instagram story. In response to a call, many predominantly young people spoke up and talked about their own panic attacks since Corona.

Roger Staub, Managing Director of the Pro Mente Sana Foundation, uses figures from the Swiss Corona Stress Study to illustrate the extent of the problem: “Before the pandemic, around seven percent of 14 to 24 year olds suffered from severe depressive symptoms. Today it’s 30 percent, four times more.” According to Staub, one must unfortunately expect that thoughts of suicide and attempted suicide will increase among under-24s as a result.

“Permanent stress burdens the psyche”

Corona is a burden for young people on several levels: “They worry about their academic and professional future. And they are afraid of missing out on life. Much of what is important for young people in this phase – going out, gaining experience, travel, exchange with peers – is not possible in this pandemic,” says Staub. Due to the isolation, the young people are more often on social media. “Even excessive social media consumption is not healthy in the long run.” All of these factors lead to permanent stress in young people, which puts a lot of psychological strain on many and can lead to depression or anxiety disorders.

Josef Hättenschwiler, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy and medical director of the Zurich Center for Anxiety and Depression Treatment (ZADZ), also says that panic attacks, general anxiety, sleep disorders and depressive moods have increased during the pandemic. “People without previous mental illnesses also suffered from increased anxiety due to the changed circumstances and social isolation.”

“You can counteract anxiety disorders”

According to Hättenschwiler, fear per se is not a bad thing. “It only becomes pathological if it occurs without real danger, i.e. it cannot be understood from the situation.” Fear becomes a problem when you avoid situations because of it and ultimately hinder everyday life. Stress, emotional stress and negative thought patterns play an important role in triggering panic attacks and thus also in the development of panic disorder.»

According to Hättenschwiler, panic attacks are characterized by their suddenness: “Those affected often break out in a sweat and are extremely afraid of suffering a heart attack or even dying. The intensity of the attack is so formative that even those affected who are informed consider it likely that a threatening, physical problem is present.” However, the anxiety disorder can be counteracted (see box below).

“Waiting times for therapies have tripled”

The experts agree that advisory services and professional help must be expanded. “The offered hand or psychotherapeutic interventions for children and young people have reached their limits in recent months,” says Hans Kurt from the Action Alliance for Mental Health Switzerland. He advises those affected to talk about their problems in the first place. “It doesn’t always have to be a professional offer. Talking to the parents, the school social worker or peers can also help.”

Roger Staub warns: “Due to the pandemic, the waiting times for therapeutic offers for children and young people have tripled in some cases. While the economy was saved with billions, nothing happened in the treatment of the psychological damage caused by the pandemic. » A whole generation is at risk of being harmed. “Today’s young people are tomorrow’s workers and skilled workers. From an economic point of view, too, it would be crucial to protect them from psychological stress. We cannot afford a whole generation not performing properly when there is a shortage of skilled workers.»

In the event of an acute panic attack, Josef Hättenschwiler advises the following procedure:
● Breathing and muscles: Concentrate on deep and calm abdominal breathing, consciously relaxing the muscles all over the body.
● Reality Check: Realize that this isn’t a physical threat, it’s a panic attack. You experience a violent fear reaction that passes.
● No attempts to escape: consciously concentrate on your surroundings. It is recommended to go through the panic attack on the spot or go to a quiet place in the immediate area. Escape can lead to association of the location with the panic attack and there is a risk that you will avoid that location in the future. This is how you keep limiting yourself.
● After the attack: seek help. Do panic attacks occur repeatedly and lead to a general impairment in everyday life? Then you should consult a doctor immediately. Video and phone-based psychiatric services are also available. More information and tips on how to get rid of panic attacks: www.sgad.ch

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