The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

Abstract

Infection with the new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily among humans and more continues to be detected over time as to how it spreads. The effect that this crisis will have on the mental health of the population, both in the short and long term, is unknown. In the acute phase, fears of possible exposure to infection, loss of employment, and financial strain are likely to increase psychological distress in the wider population. In the long run, grief and trauma are likely to appear as financial and social impacts become ingrained, the risk of depression and suicide may increase. Lack of hugs, handshakes, free movement and isolation have made it impossible for people to socialize and behave normally with each other. Anxiety, fear, insecurity and lack of self-confidence are some of the main problems that people faced during quarantine and that they may face after the release of the measures. The purpose of this paper is to prove how much the Pandemic and the situation with COVID-19 have affected the mental health of the population in the city of Prizren and Gjakova. Quantitative study method was used for the realization of this work. This paper is based on the data extracted from the questionnaire completed together with the citizens of the municipalities of Prizren and Gjakova. For the realization of this scientific research are involved 200 citizens. Age groups, gender, economic status, level of education and place of residence were analyzed. The study included people aged 20 to 50 years. The most included gender in the study is the female with 59% while the male gender with 41%. All results are presented in graphs worked with SPSS program.