Letter from the Editor: Your mental health matters

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Looking after our mental health and well-being is important at any time, but right now, it feels more crucial than ever.

Be it adjusting to working from home, learning how to become a teacher and a parent, or refraining from seeing friends and family, we’ve all had to change our usual way of life in one way or another, and it’s been hard.

So, how are you doing? Earlier this month, we took to our social channels to find out how you’re feeling and what is helping you cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of you said that you were feeling disconnected from your friends and family, others spoke of the fear of losing their jobs, and some of you expressed grief after losing loved ones.

Those of you with existing mental health conditions also spoke about the difficulties you’re facing. “The whole thing has triggered my mental health conditions — depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, and OCD. So I’m finding everything pretty challenging,” said one reader.

When it comes to what is helping you cope, exercising regularly and getting outside were at the top of the list. “We are permitted 3 hours for any activity, either alone or with one other person,” a reader in Greece told us. “I use this option to go out every day for a run. Therefore, physically and mentally, I feel very good.”

Other activities you’re finding beneficial include playing board games, meditating, taking online courses, and regularly communicating with your loved ones through video calls. 

Mental health is just as important as physical health, so we’ve created a hub that houses an array of resources for your mental well-being. Whatever your situation, we hope that our content offers a helping hand during this difficult time.

As I mentioned in last month’s letter, it’s important to keep hope in the face of adversity, and there are certainly a lot of things to be hopeful about.

We recently reported on a study that yielded promising results for a COVID-19 vaccine, while another study revealed how a three-drug combination could be effective at treating the virus. For more news about COVID-19 research, visit our dedicated hub.

While COVID-19 continues to take center stage, you’ve also been interested in other areas of medical research this month. Our article on a study that may have uncovered a cause of age-related macular degeneration proved popular, as did our article on research suggesting that a combination of vitamin C and a fasting-mimicking diet could shrink tumors.

You were also interested in learning more about mite bites, as well as the causes, symptoms, and treatments for muscle spasms.

Is there a health topic you’d like us to cover? Send us an email at editors@medicalnewstoday.com! You can also reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ll be back next month with more on what has piqued your interest in the world of medical science.

In the meantime, stay safe.

Honor Whiteman, Editorial Director

Written by Honor Whiteman on May 31, 2020

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