A survey of residents in seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, discovered that roughly half of respondents are experiencing serious stress in their lives as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with some people staying at home all the time and others venturing out after becoming tired of being confined indoors.
Because Japan's second state of emergency to combat coronavirus infections has been prolonged, the public will be asked to continue to avoid from unnecessary and nonurgent outings, as well as from drinking in public, in order to strengthen anti-infection measures.
In May of last year, a team of researchers led by Tetsuya Yamamoto, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Tokushima University, conducted an online survey on the coronavirus and psychological burdens on individuals, the month after Japan declared its first state of emergency. Approximately 10% of respondents indicated stress levels that required consultation with medical institutions owing to poor mental health, and approximately 40% were shown to have stress that was on the verge of becoming severe.
The poll included 11,333 people aged 18 to 80 who lived in Tokyo, Osaka, and five other prefectures with high rates of illness. The survey asked, among other things, if respondents were concerned about the coronavirus, in addition to a set of questions used in screenings for depression, anxiety, and other mental diseases.
According to the poll findings, 11.5% of respondents were in a poor mental state severe enough to necessitate consultations with medical institutions, and 36.6% indicated mild to moderate stress that was likely to worsen. Stress levels were particularly high among health care workers and young persons aged 18 to 30. An examination of the findings revealed that loneliness, anxiety, and insomnia caused by the coronavirus, as well as poor work or academic performance, were among the causes of stress among individuals.
"It has been proven that stress can be reduced if you look for things that you can engage in positively, even if it's something small, and if you get enough sleep," Yamamoto added. I want people to take care of themselves while embracing the current situation."
According to the survey, many people have been under extreme stress for lengthy periods of time as a result of the pandemic. The research team, directed by Asako Miura, an Osaka University social psychology professor, conducted 11 surveys aimed at the general public between the end of January 2020 and mid-January this year, and asked individuals about COVID-19. An analysis of responses from 600 people ranging in age from 18 to 70 found that people have been experiencing increased sentiments of worry that they may die, as well as a sharper sense of being lost due to not knowing what damage will occur next.
Miura argued that when people are under such great stress and anxiety, it is difficult to consider things through fully, making them prone to acting on their emotions. "Although coping behavior varies among individuals even in normal times," she said, "the prolonged coronavirus crisis has widened the gap between people who get nervous and tend to stay shut in at home, and those who can't put up with it any longer and go out."
About half of Japan residents experiencing serious stress amid virus crisis: survey. (2021, February 8). Mainichi Daily News. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210208/p2a/00m/0na/035000c
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