Trigger warnings for 2022: Here are the mental health forecasts for the New Year

With every passing year, discussions about mental health have evolved and found space in both the virtual and offline worlds. The series of social and political events triggered by the pandemic have only boosted these conversations, leading to increased awareness and empathy surrounding the mental well-being of individuals.

Anxiety, doomscrolling, languishing, loneliness, and burnout, among others, have been some of the dominant conditions that a large number of individuals reported experiencing in the past two years. So much so that "doomscrolling" became Google's most-searched word in 2021. From Instagram stories and posts, mental health hashtags, Twitter discussions to Clubhouse discourse and deep-dive podcasts, mental health terms and phrases have been echoing across the internet, expanding the well-being lexicon.

Mid-day Online reached out to mental health experts, Ajeeta Mulye, senior psychologist at Mpower- The Foundation and Dr Ruhi Satija, psychiatrist and counselling therapist, who shared their observations and insights on the major mental health issues that will gain traction on the internet in the year 2022.

Dr Ajeeta Mulye and Dr Ruhi Satija. Image courtesy: Dr Ajeeta Mulye; Dr Ruhi Satija

Anxiety

From virtual workspaces to physical offices, behind-the-screen conversations to in-person meets, empty lanes to crowded streets - returning to pre-pandemic times, though desirable, will lead to discomfort, which in turn is bound to make people anxious.

"Anxiety is always heightened with change and the unknown. Getting back to routines like offline work, attending school/colleges and exams can lead to anxiety and panic among many," adds Mulye. According to a Lancet study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, India saw a 35 percent increases in cases of anxiety and depressive disorders. Similar to the developments in the last two years, experts say anxiety will still worry many in 2022.

Mulye notes that although currently the Covid-19 situation is better than before, with every change and discomfort, it is likely that a range of emotion might impact our mental health.

Add to that the ever-evolving virus and the resulting shifts in guidelines. These will lead to further rise in anxiety and stress levels, highlights Satija.

According to her, questions about panic and anxiety, the difference between the two, symptoms, and techniques to manage and treat anxiety will dominate mental health discussions on the internet.

Depression

"When people who have lost their jobs and are still reeling with the instability caused by the pandemic, see others returning to normalcy, they may experience a feeling of being stuck. These factors may lead to depressive symptoms which will greatly affect the overall health of the person," says Mulye.

The American Psychiatric Association defines depression as "a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed."

Depression can greatly affect an individual's ability to carry out every day activities and makes one "persistently feel sad". According to Mulye, depression is a major mental health issue, which is used as a buzzword more often than its intended meaning.

According to Satija, more and more people will seek to educate themselves about the symptoms of depression in the coming years.

Digital Addiction

As a continuing trend of recent times, over exposure to digital tools and platforms is another phenomenon that will directly affect one's physical and mental health - from children to adults.

Stuck at home for a long time since 2020, we relied on social media and OTT content to keep us occupied and entertained. As mentioned above, it also led to compulsive doomscrolling in an environment of not-so-comforting happenings. The time invested in digital content will be on the rise in 2022 also.

"Dealing with addictions and overcoming them will be a major challenge in 2022. Most of us had found comfort in social media and entertainment. Now with new routines and normalcy, many will struggle to decrease the time invested in the past year on these platforms," says Mulye.

According to Satija, increasing pressure and stress from routine life, smartphones and laptops will act as a medium for many to escape reality and indulge in gratifying themselves through online content, which caters to the hope of a better life.

"Digital addiction including online shopping, pornography, gaming and betting, mindless scrolling is expected to rise. It's a vicious cycle involving a need to vent and a need for instant gratification, which eventually leads to people depending on them until it becomes an addiction with less to escape the habit," Satija adds.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness will be an oft-heard term as people try to heal from past trauma and re-adjust to the current situation without taking on future worries immediately.

It is a phenomenon or a practice where one uses various techniques to pay attention to the present, using their senses. "Mindfulness practices shifts our attention to the present from past regrets and resentment. In the process, it helps one stay calm and stress free," says Satija.

Experts suggest adopting mindfulness practices as a part of daily routine significantly improves one's quality of life. This can also mean engaging in physical exercises, yoga, meditation and self-care activities which can help our mental well-being.

Trauma

As Mulye explains, trauma is "an emotional response to a terrible and unpleasant event". Most of the time, people who experience trauma struggle to heal from the impact such occurrences have on their body and mind. The long-term impact of trauma can cause nightmares, changes in sleep pattern and appetite, hyper vigilance, mood swings, body aches, etc., thus affecting an individual's everyday life.

"In coming years, with an unhealthy lifestyle, increased rate of stress and organisations operating in full strength, this word will be more likely to be used even for small events. For example, ‘I asked the lady sitting next to me in the train to pull up the mask but she argued about it. Oh lord, it was such a traumatic experience for me!'" says Mulye.

Personality disorder

Both Mulye and Satija recognise personality disorder (PD) as one of the important issues concerning the mental health of individuals in the near future.

According to experts, personality disorder traits are noticed in adolescent age, while they are diagnosed only in adulthood. A person exhibiting personality disorder traits faces difficulties in social functioning and has rigid ways of thinking, behaving and experiencing emotions in routine life. Though a common psychological disorder, it comes with co-existing and underlying concerns making it complex.

Mulye observes:"In my 12 years of experience, I have seen many clients, mostly in their 20s, early and mid-30s, being diagnosed with PD. The number of PD cases I come across is increasing every year. I believe this is because this is the age group where we go through maximum stressors and changes in our life goals and decisions. And with every stressor, emotional upheaval is expected which a person with PD struggles to cope with, leading to disruption and dysfunctionality. As a high percentage of people fall between the ages of 18 and 40, it's important to discuss this disorder so in the coming year people seek treatment for the same."

Issues that need more attention

While depression and anxiety are discussed more frequently, there are other major mental health issues too that require similar attention and are often not discussed due to existing stigma, hesitancy and denial of medical attention.

Both Mulye and Satija stress on the need to discuss the mental health of children, including developmental disorders and the impact on the behaviour and overall personality of children in their growing years.

According to Mulye, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), where one's attention span is affected and the individual shows symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity, is also an issue of concern given the restlessness of the mind and body due to changing routines and work, life imbalance.

"ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental and diagnosed disorder in children, though in recent years, many cases of Adult ADHD have also been observed. Research says that almost 11% of the population gets diagnosed with ADHD and the percentage keeps increasing every year, which indicates a need to discuss this," says Mulye.

"Low confidence, constant self-criticism, conditional self-acceptance, overthinking, abuse, physical illness are some of the significant factors contributing to mental health illness, which need to be discussed too," she adds.

Also Read: Yearender 2021: 10 trending words that started mental health conversations on the internet this year