우울에서 분노로 ‘코로나 레드',... 거리두기 강화될 때 높아져
Depression suffered during this Covid-19 pandemic or the "coronavirus blues" may soon become an official category of disease, in and of itself.
There are increasing number of study that find more links between the ongoing pandemic and depression or anxiety suffered by the public.
But, some people in the country say it's more than anxiety or depression that they are feeling; they are becoming angry.
Lee Kyung-eun tells us more about this new phenomenon, "Coronavirus Red".
COVID-19 has led to an increase in depression, known as the ‘Corona blues.'
But for some, this has given way to feelings of anger or rage, known as ‘Corona red’.
"There are rule breakers not wearing masks and participating in mass rallies. I get mad at them because it’s those people who are dragging out this outbreak."
"When I lost my job because of the outbreak, I couldn’t help getting really angry."
A recent survey shows anger was the second most common emotion people felt when seeing COVID-19 news during late August.
'Anger' has more than doubled compared to earlier that month,… while 'nervousness' has fallen and 'fear' has gone up only slightly.
The change overlaps with the peak of the country's second wave,... when the government announced the strengthened 2.5 distancing scheme.
"You feel extremely controlled and suppressed,... making you think "Why do I have to live like this?" Anger is the another face of depression that can surface when stress gets more intense. That emotion is also contagious, like we have seen during protests."
A similar pattern has been seen globally.
Research shows that Tweets associated with anger jumped during the March to April period,... the peak of the global first wave which forced many European countries to lock down.
COVID-19 anger can hit any age group, including children. But those in their 20s are most vulnerable.
"Young adults have their daily activities and job searches affected by the situation. And females tend to struggle more because they put more emphasis on interaction with people."
Experts say doing outdoor activities that have a low risk of infection can help ease depression.
Paying close attention to your mental health is also important.
You can take a self-assessment or search "government COVID-19 psychological service" online if you need help.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.
