With all the self-isolation, social distancing, and uncertainty involved in the COVID-19 outbreak, peoples mental health is a concern for many.

Some issues people are thinking about include increased depression and anxiety for those who are self-isolating.

Nema Atsu is the program director for the Moose Jaw Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Sometimes turning off the news can help with those issues.

“Turning on news on every channel all day long, and a lot of the news from other countries can make us worry about what’s happening here,” she said. “Listening to that stuff constantly can make a rise in our anxiety and make us worry probably more than we need to be worrying. So turning off the news and giving yourself a break from that can really protect our mental health at this time.”

Staying to trusted sources of information like government or reputable news sources, and less on social media. Anxiety has people ‘revved up’, according to Donna Bowyer with the Moose Jaw Branch of Canadian Mental Health Services.

“You go into the stores, and the lineups are incredible and the empty shelves are unbelievable and it’s that fear of the unknown, not knowing what could happen and what might happen, and that’s the general public,” Bowyer said. “If you also have a mental illness on top of that, it’s just times many numbers how people are feeling so anxious.”

Bowyer said it’s incredible to watch people try to prepare for the unknown.

Atsu added that another common issue is excessive hand washing for people with obsessive compulsive disorder, saying it can be a triggering activity for those who are recovering.

“It can bring back all those symptoms of OCD, and having to isolate themselves as well for many people with OCD, just getting out of their houses is a really big thing for them,” Atsu said. “Now they’re told to stay home and wash their hands. It can become some of those obsessions and compulsions people can have with OCD.”

She said people should wash their hands as long as they recommend, but people living with OCD should pay attention to what they’re doing and that it’s not compulsive behaviour.