Several more people are forced to be home isolated, which puts a question on how this will affect the psyche on different individuals. On March the 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom was on lockdown, and people need to respect the social distance, therefore they are only allowed to leave the house for the necessary. This leaves many individuals home only in company with themselves. In general study from 2018 show that 9 million people in the UK often or always feel lonely according to Co-op and the British Red Cross. Furthermore, that half a million older individuals can go five to six days a week without having any social communication.

Therefore in general loneliness is a factor several individual is battling, and these times with self-isolation only makes the situation more difficult. 
87-year-old Lis Andersen from Aalborg, Denmark is describing her difficulty with the isolation. 

“ I am used to being a very active and social woman, going to yoga, choir and dancing. Now I have to be isolated at home, not having any family or friends visiting and even staying away from my daughter’s 64-year-old birthday. I can feel this is making me very depressive and having an effect on my psyche” says Andersen.

Society needs to show awareness of the psychological consequences isolation can have. Psychologist, Ida Koch has researched for 25 years in the psychological outcome penal cells and isolations can have on people.     

“It doesn’t take much for people to get isolation syndromes that can affect cognitively, emotionally and physically. The problem is that we do not know when the government will release the requirements – this can last for two months and it is a moment of uncertainty” says Koch.

Giving the matter awareness:

Koch points out regarding the older generation that isolation can cause cognitive problems, especially with their memory. Furthermore, the longer the isolation lasts the more serious the symptoms will get. The uncertainty and fear of the crisis can have a psychological effect on the human being; therefore Koch finds it necessary for people to reach out and the governments to discuss this matter. 

“It would make sense to have some available information about the normal reactions, to not having the freedom of movement and being secluded from the outside world, so that people understand why they suddenly experience difficulty sleeping or are unsafe” says expert in psychology and isolation, Ida Koch.