Jeanette became anxious and isolated. New research shows how the covid quarantine affected our mental health
Jeanette Grindbakken, 32, felt it physically. She went from being social and benefitting from her treatment to becoming isolated and increasingly unwell.
Jeanette Grindbakken now works at Mental Hese, an organisation advocating openness, prevention, and better mental health services for everyone.(Photo: Emilie Gjengedal Vatnøy)
Jeanette Grindbakken had been seeing a psychologist for five years and was in the provess of tapering off her medication when the strictest peacetime measures in Norwegian history were introduced in March 2020 to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
At the time, Grindbakken lived in supported housing.
The common areas were closed and she sat alone in her apartment.
"I couldn't meet my therapist. Everything happened over the phone. I became more and more isolated and anxious," she says.
Much of her fear centered on losing contact with those closest to her.
Annonse
"I live quite far from my family and didn't know how long it would be before I could see them again," she says.
Asle Hoffart works as a senior researcher at Modum Bad.(Photo: University of Oslo)
Clear increase in anxiety after quarantine
In a new study, researchers followed over 100,000 people from Norway and Iceland during and after the pandemic.
The results show a clear increase in anxiety and depression after periods of isolation and quarantine.
The risk of experiencing symptoms also increased the longer isolation lasted. It was particularly noticeable for those who were isolated for more than four weeks.
Similar reactions across groups
Senior researcher Helga Ask at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and psychology professor Asle Hoffart at Modum Bad are among the researchers who worked on the study.
Ask explains that the symptoms could last long after the quarantine was over.
"We see symptoms gradually declining over time. Still, even after more than four weeks, those who had been quarantined reported higher symptom levels than those who had not," she tells Science Norway.
A surprising finding was that people with and without prior mental health problems responded almost the same way to isolation.
"This suggests that quarantine itself intensified symptoms of mental health problems," she says.
Helga Ask is a psychology researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.(Photo: Annika Remåd)
No longer found it helpful
After the lockdown, Jeanette Grindbakken had to increase her medication again.
"The dose was raised to even more than I needed before I started tapering off," she says.
Annonse
Self-destructive behaviour that had stopped returned, and Grindbakken was hospitalised several times.
"I started cancelling my outpatient appointments because I no longer saw any point in them," she says.
The new study also shows that multiple rounds of quarantine had a greater impact on mental health. Those who were quarantined several times reported the most symptoms.
Even when strict restrictions were lifted and daily life gradually returned to normal, Grindbakken contunied to struggle.
"I had become so used to being isolated. It was difficult to go out, meet others, and get life going again," she says.
She eventually chose to move closer to her family.
"That was in case everything shut down again," she says.
Routines are important
Stephanie Le Hellard, a professor at the University of Bergen, is not surprised by the study's findings.
She led the TAKE.CARE020 project at the University of Bergen, which examined how the pandemic and restrictions may have affected people's mental health.
She says the results from the new study align well with what the Bergen researchers found.
"We saw an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression during quarantine and lockdown. The increase was especially noticeable among women, young people, and those struggling financially," says Le Hellard.
She highlights poor sleep, lack of physical activity, and limited social contact during the pandemic as key contributors to worsening mental health.
"We now know that it's important to encourage people to maintain their routines if another pandemic occurs. Good routines for sleep, activity, and social contact are incredibly important for maintaining good mental health," she says.
Stephanie Le Hellard is a researcher at the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research and a professor at the University of Bergen.(Foto: Melanie Burford)
Checklist
The researchers behind the new study stress that quarantines were likely necessary during the pandemic.
Still, Hoffart believes the findings show that we need to be more aware of the psychological costs such measures can have.
Both Ask and Hoffart point out that those who have to quarantine repeatedly may need follow-up and support.
The theme for World Mental Health Day 2025 focused on strengthening our mental preparedness to build resilience in times of crisis.
"Their checklist for mental resilience is highly relevant when you find yourself in a situation like the one we faced during Covid," says Ask.
