Coronavirus Induced Mental Health Issues

Whilst entitled ‘Coronavirus Induced Mental Health Issues’ the reality is that many of the feelings and emotions being evoked by the current pandemic are common to any pandemic situation.

Most people have not caught the virus and even if they do, the vast majority will experience only mild physical symptoms.  This page addresses the three main areas where people may be struggling beyond the immediate physical health problems related to the virus:

Emotional symptoms

Emotions and feeling that are waiting to happen.  Emotions can be described as clusters of groups of physical sensations that when we experience them together we call them an emotion.  Emotions can, broadly, be broken down into two categories – pleasant and unpleasant and with a pandemic, the emotions being experienced by most are unpleasant.

When emotions are unpleasant, our urge is to ‘escape’ or get away from them.  Sometimes in life this is possible, however, often it is not.  So are we stuck with them?  Not necessarily.

Emotions require shape and form in order to become feelings.  All this means is that in order to appropriately express our emotions we turn them into feelings so that we can communicate them to others around us.  Feelings are emotions with thought.

When a child has a tantrum, or indeed, when adults fight over toilet paper, they are ‘acting out’, which literally means that they are expressing their emotions in an unconfined and non-relational way.  This is rarely helpful to the person feeling the emotions nor is it helpful to those around them.

Counselling and psychotherapy help people, through the relationship, to be in touch with what they are experiencing and to turn those emotions into feelings so that they can be relationally expressed and received by the therapist.  When we learn to express our feelings like this we learn to make use of empathy and attunement and the intensity of the emotion subsides.

Psychological symptoms

Psychological symptoms are linked to the lack of emotional expression, however, involve how the mind is reacting to stress. Psychological issues can include anxiety and depression, as well as OCD symptoms as a few examples.  Painful and difficult emotions, without expression, contribute to and exacerbate psychological symptoms.

The pandemic – our nervous system response

For the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), the Coronavirus represents a threat to life. Of course, whilst this is true, rationally we also know that in the vast majority of cases the symptoms will be mild and we will recover. However, the nervous system does not do ‘rationality’ or thinking, it is primed to react to danger and threat to life and whilst very useful when. being chased by a lion, it will not be helpful in us all managing the marathon that is coming through this pandemic.

The ANS predates our human brain (pre-frontal cortex). Therefore, it is not possible to ‘think’ the nervous system into a state of calm. This can must be done through the breath and the body. For a useful video on this topic please click here.

Relationship issues

Lives have changed enormously in an extremely short space of time.  How we interact, work, parent, live and feel has all changed. No wonder we are struggling!

One aspect of self-isolation and quarantine is that it brings with it a rapid change to relationship dynamics:

• children who are usually at school are home and may not be able to go out
• partners may be working from the same physical home together
• families are spending more time together and not out of choice!
• people who live alone may feel lonely or isolated

We can help

At Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy we have team of highly skilled and experienced clinicians, all of whom have worked across a range of environments including the NHS. We are able to offer you sessions either face-to-face or online. Contact us for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer online therapy? Read moreAll of our clinicians are trained in offering counselling, psychotherapy and mental health support vie online videoconferencing technology. This means that you can access our services without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home.

How can counselling and psychotherapy help with Coronavirus related mental health problems?  Read moreThe challenges and stresses being induced by this pandemic are enormous both on a personal and relational level. Counselling and psychotherapy can help you to make sense of how you are feeling, to better regulate your emotions and to address more complex issues around relationships that you may be experiencing.

What happens in a first session?  Read moreThe first session with one of our practitioners is an opportunity for you both to work out whether you feel able to work together. Your psychotherapist or psychologist will likely ask you various questions relating to what has brought you and explain the process of therapy to you. The first session is a two-way process where you have toe opportunity to ask questions and to decide whether you feel ‘safe enough’ working with your therapist.

How do I find a psychotherapist of psychologist I want to work with?  Read moreAt Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy, we have two physical practices, one in Hove and one in Lewes, where we offer a full range of psychological therapies. On our website you can view each profile of our associates and contact them directly using the form on their profile page. You can also use our handy search function to find the right practitioner for your needs.

How long will it take for me to see a psychologist or psychotherapist  Read more

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.  You may either contact one of our practitioners directly via their profile page, or you can contact us directly and we will assist you in finding the right person to see as soon as possible. If the practitioner you wish to see has space then an appointment can usually be arranged within a week and sometimes much sooner.

How can I get in touch with you?  Read moreYou can contact our practitioners directly via the contact forms on their profile pages, they will then reply to you directly.

What age groups of clients do you work with?  Read moreWe have psychotherapists and psychologists trained to work with every age group from infants through to adults.

Do you offer evening and/or weekend sessions?  Read moreWe offer sessions every day of the week including on Saturdays and sessions are available into the evening.

What are your fees?  Read moreOur fees are set by each practitioner depending on the type of therapy.  For individual psychotherapy or clinical psychology, our fees range from £60 – £90 per session. For couple therapy, our fees range from £70 – £100 per session.

Contact us

At Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy, we have two physical practices, one in Hove and one in Lewes, where we offer a full range of psychological therapies. On our website, you can view each profile of our associates and contact them directly using the form on their profile page. You can also use our handy search function to find the right practitioner for your needs.

If you are considering online therapy, take a look at our online therapy services.


All the content on this page has been reviewed and vetted by Mark Vahrmeyer UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Co-Founder of Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy. For any questions or more information about the subjects discussed on this page please contact us.