just a thought on mental health in the CV19 Global Pandemic. this is an opinion piece and has themes of mental health and self-harm so proceed with caution if these might be possible triggers for you.

in the Australian military we sadly have approximately 43 deaths in the Middle East campaign and this has the very upsetting link to 300-400 deaths back home associated to this war. across the same period I understand that there is at least 4,000 to 5,000 medically discharged un-fit to work. so if you map this back to CV19 numbers it is already 576 deaths in Victoria. that roughly says we could be looking at 5,760 associated deaths and 60,000 unfit for work as a long term option. sure it is very crude algebra of the ‘x10’ but I am sure that it will be close to the reality our society/culture/village faces over the next decade…. I assert this as my original idea and call it  Craig’s CV19 Compound Calculation.

and the DSM (mental health book) has yet to diagnose a condition for the mental health post CV (for patients that did not have CV but were impacted in work / lifestyle) it will most likely follow a social withdrawal/ anxiety complaint with associated depression; very much like PTSD but without the ‘trauma event’ necessarily… maybe ‘PCAD’ or Post Corona (CV19) Anxiety Disorder and I am sure there is room in the DSM for my credit as well and  assert this as my original and offer  the following as a test for the disorder.

PCAD symptoms are grouped into five different clusters. One or more symptoms are required from each of these clusters in order for a patient to receive a full diagnosis. It is possible to have other diagnosis such as PTSD as well as this but it is not essential and PCAD can be present in isolation.

Those clusters include:

Stressor – (required) The person was exposed to significant changes to lifestyle, employment or general safety from the CV19 Global Pandemic.

Intrusion Symptoms (one required) – The person who was exposed to the CV19 Global Pandemic then re-experiences the CV19 Global Pandemic in one or more ways, including:

Flashbacks
Nightmares
Distressing and intense memories
Distress or physical reactions after being exposed to reminders, known as “triggers”

Unpleasant Changes to Mood or Thoughts (two required) –

Blaming self or others for the CV19 Global Pandemic
Decreased interest in things that were once enjoyable
Negative feelings about self and the world
Inability to remember the CV19 Global Pandemic clearly
Difficulty feeling positive
Feelings of isolation
Negative affect, and difficulty feeling positive

Avoidance (one required) – This occurs when a person tries to avoid all reminders of the CV19 Global Pandemic, including:

Avoiding external reminders of what happened
Avoiding CV19 Global Pandemic-related thoughts or emotions, sometimes through the use of drugs or alcohol

Changes in Reactivity (two required) – This occurs when a person becomes more easily startled and reacts to frightful experiences more fully, including symptoms of:

Aggression or irritability
Hypervigilance and hyper-awareness
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping
Heightened startle response
Engaging in destructive or risky behaviour
Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep

All of these symptoms must have persisted at least one month, and they must be causing distress or functional impairment of some kind. These symptoms must not be related to any substance use, illness, or medications.

treatment and management of PCAD are yet to be discussed and not covered in this opinion piece.