JANNEN BELBECK 2020-06-19 07:27:17
Second wave woes
I hope both professions are succeding in their various re-opening stages, wherever you call home. While I can’t verify that I’ve learned any new “quarantine skills,” I know some of you can add homeschool teacher to your list. As provinces re-open and chiropractors and naturopaths continue to work and support patients, I would be remiss not to mention preparedness for a “second wave.” Yes, health experts are warning of jumps in cases as we re-open, and some are expecting the timing of this second wave to arrive around September.
Another “second wave” of sorts that is also being discussed: a second wave of mental health issues and the negative consequences of social isolation. Personally, I don’t know what kind of headspace I would be in if I has to self-isolate for weeks at a time – and I had many friends who had to. So I did my best to check in, or send some little gifts to lift spirits.
New research in Trends in Cognitive Sciences explores the wide-ranging, negative consequences that social isolation has on psychological well-being and physical health, including decreased lifespan. Of note, the researchers from McGill University found:
• Having strong interpersonal relationships is critical for survival across the entire lifespan
• Social isolation is a significant predictor of the risk of death
• Insufficient social stimulation affects reasoning and memory performances, hormone homeostasis, brain grey/white matter, connectivity, and function, as well as resilience to physical and mental disease
• Feelings of loneliness can spread through a social network, negatively skewed social perception, escalating morbidity and mortality, and, in older people, precipitating the onset of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.
We have yet to see the magnitude of how this will affect our populations in the long run, but take time to check in with yourselves, your patients and your friends and family. We’re in this together.
Stay safe,
JANNEN BELBECK, Editor
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