Is having a roommate a buffer against depression during the pandemic?

It's been a year since the world went into lockdown, due to the COVID- 19 virus, and since this past year, we have had to adopt the word self isolation in our daily vocabulary. Mental health is a part of our total well being and with half of the world being in social isolation, this may take a toll on our mental health, because as social beings and we rely on social interactions to survive. But for individuals who live alone, and go weeks without physical interaction, does the feeling of loneliness and depression creep in and take a toll on their mental health? If so, then is having a roommate a buffer against this feeling of loneliness which could possibly lead to depression?

A recent article published by the Gerontologist concluded that there is an association between social isolation and poor mental health, especially in countries where the COVID -19 death rate is high. Poor mental health exhibits itself through psychological distress, lack of motivation, loneliness, anxiety and depression, and possibly suicidal thoughts. It is also common knowledge that having a strong social support network can act as a buffer against poor mental health especially dealing with crisis. At the start of the pandemic in March, I was living alone in my student accommodation, just as I was rounding up my final semester from university. It was the start of the lockdown and all of my roommates had gone home to be with their family. But as an international student, I couldn’t make the long trip back to Nigeria in the middle of the end of my final semester, with no assurance that I would be allowed back into the country. Living alone in my big 3-bedroom apartment made me feel so lonely and unmotivated to finish my final year projects. I felt so alone and anxious, even falling into bits of depression because being part of a church community, I’m used to socializing with my friends, and going to their houses for Sunday lunch and recharging myself for the school week ahead.

But when we went into lockdown there were no more physical conversations, or hugs of assurance from friends and that really bothered me. So when my friend suggested we got an apartment together, I jumped at that opportunity, and we’ve grown closer since then. There’s a sense of security and safety I feel now that I never felt in the beginning of March. In the days we had to quarantine together, after being exposed to a positive case I appreciated the company I had because it would have been a lot harder for me. I could never imagine as a person who struggled with anxiety and panic attacks to be alone with the fear of possibly having the corona virus.

Humans are social beings, and having social support, which is a social determinant of both physical and mental health is very important. Social support can be emotional, physical or even financial, and lack of social support can lead a person to turn to habits like alcohol and drug use just to fill that void. Having our social support network also influences our choices; like how likely we are to eat healthy foods, exercise or engage in stress reducing habits like smoking. These unhealthy habits set a precedence for depression and loneliness, which worsens over time when an individual is self isolated.

With my roommate, I am less likely to order food online, because we take turns with cooking meals for one another; a great motivation for eating healthy by sharing recipes. I even got into baking and perfected the best banana bread recipe ever.

In addition to living through a pandemic, comes the life changes people are forced to reckon with. The WHO reports that as a result of the pandemic, tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into poverty. The uncertainty of having a livelihood or a source of income can stress an individual and lead to mental health struggles.

The pandemic especially for new graduates has taken a toll on mental health, because we are faced with the pressure of starting a new career, in an economy where entry level positions are now being filled with experienced individuals who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. All of these factors coupled together can overwhelm a person and drive them into further isolation for fear of burdening other people with their problems. One can only imagine the ripple effects of the pandemic on psychological wellbeing, and that might even be a mental health pandemic in itself, post covid.

For me, having a roommate I can talk to and relate with helps limit the feeling of loneliness and it lets me know everything will be okay. In times when I get overwhelmed with life's issues, I have someone who is always there with her arms open wide to help me, listen to me and pray with me. I love my roommate and I’m glad in this pandemic was able to have someone I could call my sister!