Lockdown of 1.3 billion people in India during Covid-19 pandemic: A survey of its impact on mental health (original) (raw)

2020, Asian Journal of Psychiatry

Lockdown of 1.3 billion people in India during Covid-19 pandemic: A survey of its impact on mental health COVID-19 pandemic presented as a black swan event, and as a measure to curtail it the governments of different countries took various approaches (Tandon, 2020). However, most countries announced complete lockdown, with draconian travel and social restrictions. On March 24, 2020, the Government of India ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, limiting movement of the entire population of 1.3 billion. Though this was probably a requisite, even short term lockdowns, quarantine and social distancing can precede long term effects such as symptoms of mental stress and disorder, including insomnia, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Wang et al., 2020; Brooks et al., 2020). Although there is a deluge of studies published regarding COVID-19, there is a paucity of published data regarding the mental health status of the general population.