How do you manage coronavirus anxiety? Here’s some advice from mental health experts

The spread of coronavirus has led to increased anxiety about the outbreak, health experts say.



The World Health Organization has released a list of recommendations for people to manage stress and maintain mental and psychological health.

“Avoid watching, reading or listening to news that cause you to feel anxious or distressed; seek information mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones,” the WHO wrote. “Seek information updates at specific times during the day once or twice. The sudden and near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel worried.”



The WHO also advises against stigmatizing groups of people infected with COVID-19.

“Don’t attach it to any ethnicity or nationality,” the WHO wrote. “Be empathetic to those who got affected, in and from any country, those with the disease have not done anything wrong.”



The spread of the disease has led to increased anxiety throughout the U.S.

“We are seeing increasing levels of anxiety [in the U.S.] over a relatively short period of time,” Vaile Wright, director of clinical research and quality at the American Psychological Association, told Stat News.

For around 19.1 percent of adults who already have an anxiety disorder, the outbreak could exacerbate their anxiety, The Washington Post reported.

“This is definitely a trigger for a lot of patients,” Krystal Lewis, a clinical psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, told the outlet. “For anyone who might have OCD or specific concerns about getting sick, once you start seeing those signs pop up even more, and the Purell is everywhere, it can be really tough.”



Experts have several recommendations for maintaining mental health during the outbreak, according to The Washington Post. They recommend maintaining routines, avoiding crowds but not isolating yourself, sleeping, eating healthy food, avoiding drinking too much alcohol, exercising, looking to reliable news sources, taking breaks, and seeking help if needed.

This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 7:40 PM with the headline "How do you manage coronavirus anxiety? Here’s some advice from mental health experts."