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In Case You Haven't Heard…
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
mental health weekly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7583
pISSN - 1058-1103
DOI - 10.1002/mhw.32342
Subject(s) - comedy , feeling , entertainment , faith , psychology , anxiety , covid-19 , social psychology , media studies , psychoanalysis , sociology , art , medicine , visual arts , psychiatry , philosophy , theology , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
TV shows and films can offer an escape from the fear and anxiety so many people are feeling during the COVID‐19 pandemic, MSN Entertainment reported earlier this month. “Personally, and professionally, I think the reason we end up on the couch watching TV when we want to be productive is simply a coping mechanism,” said Rachael Snyder, LLMSW, a clinical psychotherapist in Michigan. Plus, people want an escape, said Faith M. Sproul, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist in Washington, D.C. “Before, people watched TV to escape the amount of time spent working,” Sproul said. “Now, we need an escape from the fear and anxiety this event may be causing.” Comedy, upbeat picks and family favorites are all good choices to cue up these days, Sproul and Snyder said. “Right now, it's really important for people to keep their spirits up,” said Sproul. “Because we are being inundated with extremely serious content, comedy and feel‐good shows can provide the humor we need to offer us some balance in our daily lives. Many therapists prescribe television or films to clients to help them gain insight or see how others deal with similar problems in life,” Sproul said. So, with the right choices, you may actually be doing your mental health some good during this pandemic.