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Dora Awuah is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Dora Awuah Foundation
The Dora Awuah Foundation commemorates March as Social Connectivity Month. The goal is to raise awareness about the tremendous benefits and ways to establish and maintain social connection in all facets of life. The Dora Awuah Foundation is a mental health NGO that promotes mental health through awareness of mental health issues, crisis intervention and empowerment, with a focus on young people.
Social connection is the feeling of being part of a group, family or community. People interact with each other through face-to-face meetings, phone conversations, and social media platforms.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), social connectivity remains an important way to promote, prevent and manage existing mental health problems. Mental health as defined by the WHO is “a state of well-being in which each individual achieves their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and are capable of doing so. contribute. his community ”.
Globally, researchers are reporting increasing risks of developing mental health problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article discusses ways to promote mental health through social connections in the context of Ghanaian culture in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed societies in various ways. The high infection rate of the virus has forced the World Health Organization to institute protocols to stem the spread. These include wearing a mask, avoiding handshakes and hugs, frequent hand washing and sanitizing, physical distancing, working from home, and confinements around the world.
While these protocols have helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the change in habitual lifestyle has and will continue to expose many people to psychosocial difficulties such as poor social connection and mental health issues.
Despite this, according to the WHO, around 113,076,707 cases have so far been recorded with more than 2.5 million deaths worldwide. The Ghana Health Service reports around 84,349 cases in Ghana and 611 deaths as of March 4, 2021.
The families of those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic as well as those who have recovered from the infection are to a greater extent exposed to some level of psychological distress. For example, in May 2020, a study conducted by Adom and Mensah found that the majority of COVID-19 victims were exposed to stigma that resulted in varying degrees of psychological disturbance.
As such, it is imperative for families, businesses, religious institutions, and educational institutions to design and implement programs that can strengthen social bonds, although the majority may not have the privilege. face-to-face physical interactions.
Social connectivity and mental health
Social bonds are beneficial for health outcomes in collectivist and individualistic communities. Public mental health and epidemiology publications show that social connectivity protects and promotes mental health by the way. Whenever people are unable to connect with friends, family, and other important people, a social vacuum is created which can negatively impact neuropsychological functioning and overall well-being.
In addition to its ability to prevent and promote mental health, social connectivity has healing properties. It gives individuals the buffer they need to manage stressors and stay focused and motivated to adhere to current mental health treatments.
There is compelling evidence from neuropsychiatric research that social connectivity improves brain health (structural, neurochemistry), resulting in positive feelings and mental processes. This applies to both adolescent and adult populations.
How to create a social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic
Although COVID-19 protocols continue to separate people from their loved ones, it is still possible to maintain an exceptional social bond with those we cherish through technology.
Advances in technology make it easier to connect with family, friends and loved ones both locally and cross-culturally in different parts of the world using different platforms.
These include Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and others. Family reunions can be scheduled through Zoom, Skype, and other online platforms.
These technologies make it very easy for family members to see and interact with each other. Writing and sharing new ideas and talking about the week’s experiences with friends and relatives via online meetings are all healthy ways to minimize stress while strengthening friendship and family bonds.
Additionally, frequent phone conversations to check on loved ones reinforce a sense of belonging and provide a way to express any form of distress.
Plus, sharing pictures and videos helps stimulate the brain, provides diversion therapy, and eventually improves some level of relaxation. It is still possible to participate in social events such as weddings and funerals through these platforms, where internet access is not difficult.
Conclusion
We encourage individuals, families, organizations, religious and businesses to provide opportunities for their members to connect socially while adhering to COVID-19 protocols. The value of being there for each other is ingrained in our consciousness through our socialization as a people.
If there is a time to live this value as a people and take ownership of its multiple benefits for our collective survival and well-being, then it is now. These are the times when “biological vaccination” seems to have all its effectiveness, not without the crucial accompaniment of “social vaccination” reflected by deep human ties, a sense of belonging, mutual aid and empathy. Social connections remain one of the cheapest and easiest approaches to promoting mental health locally and globally.
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