The Impacts of Prolonged Social Isolation on Mental Health

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This chapter discusses the potential short-term and long-term impacts on mental health due to the disruption and removal of face-to-face interaction caused by isolation. It explores how prolonged isolation can increase the risk of developing significant mental health problems and emphasizes the need for proactive measures and behavioral changes during this challenging period.

Over the past few weeks many of us have been living more isolated lives than we’re used to. We might not be in government-mandated quarantine but there’s no doubt that COVID-19 has upended our social lives. Yet isolation can be deeply troubling for humans because we’re social animals; and that’s just as true in our current circumstances as it is in very extreme forms of isolation.