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Researchers Fear Pandemic Inflicting War-Like Mental Health Damage in
Australia

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY - Experts say coronavirus lockdowns anywhere in the world can
   trigger stress, irritability,fearand fatigue.There can be a
   disconnection from extended family and friends, causing
   loneliness.Uncertainty is another corrosive factor.

   In Australia, mental health charities estimated that about a third of
   people in Melbourne suffered some sort of depression during the
   nation's longest and strictest lockdown last year.Research has also
   found that lockdowns are making some Australian children too anxious to
   go to school.

   Life in Australia was beginning toreturn to normal.
   Butrecently,thehighly contagiousdelta variant was detected in several
   states and territoriesthreatening progress.Lockdowns were imposed in
   Sydney, Perth, Brisbane andDarwin--subjecting millions of Australians
   tostay-at-home orders.

   Professor Susan Rossell, a cognitive neuropsychologist at Swinburne's
   Centre for Mental Health, compares mental health consequences of the
   coronavirus crisis to a conflict.

   "There are very few pandemics that have lasted thislong.So, the
   comparison to wars, especially wars that lasta very longtime, is a good
   one,"Rossell said. "During the conflict times, so,during the pandemic
   time,it elevated stress and anxiety, loneliness, confusion, poorer
   quality of life--all the things that we are seeingat the moment."

   Mental health experts have said anxiety will "haunt" many Australians
   in the future as uncertainty surrounds a slow vaccination rollout and
   the likelihood that international borders will stay closed for another
   year,separatingfamilies from relatives overseas.

   The lockdowns in Perth, Brisbane and Darwin were lifted in recent days,
   but Sydney, Australia's most populous city,remainsunder a stay-at-home
   order until at least Saturday.Authorities are racing tocontaina
   COVID-19 outbreak linked to a limousine driver thought to have been
   infected with thedelta variant after transportinganinternational flight
   crew at SydneyAirport.

   Residents in lockdown can leave their homes for work, to buy groceries,
   to exercise, care for a relative or to receive a coronavirus vaccine.

   Australia has recorded just under 31,000 COVID-19 infections since the
   pandemic began.910people have died.

   Only about 7%of thepopulation of 25 millionare fully vaccinated.

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