**Abstract**

Public health in Mexico was on alert since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of COVID-19. This disease represents a challenge not only for the health system but also for the education system, which implement emerging measures such as online education. In Mexico online education has several limitations associated with computer and internet access, which affect the academic achievement of the students. Additionally, the main measures against the pandemic are social isolation, but this measure can generate stress and affect the academic achievement and mental health of the population. The present review was based on Mexican scientific and journalistic sources, and a thesaurus system such as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms to find original articles to social isolation, mental health, and academic achievement. The contribution of this chapter is to describe the effects that social isolation has caused on mental health and scholar challenges in the Mexican student population.

**Keywords:** social isolation, COVID-19, stress, online education, academic achievement

### **1. Introduction**

Humanity has always coexisted with several microorganisms, groups of bacteria and viruses that surround us at all times, with some of these, mainly bacteria, even symbiotic relationships have been established, for example, the various bacterial species that make up the intestinal microbiota. On the other hand, the relationship with viruses has been more conflictive, from adenoviruses that cause respiratory infections, conjunctivitis and gastroenteritis, to the human immunodeficiency virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, pathologies caused by viruses have always been present. In this sense, the occurrence of a new virus that affects humans causes uncertainty. Currently, the COVID-19 disease (coronavirus disease 2019) caused by SARS-CoV-2 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a virus of the coronavirus family, originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019 [1]. It is a disease of the respiratory tract that presents with symptoms such as fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, rhinorrhea, chest pain, and some patients may have diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting [2], it is transmitted from person to person through small particles of contaminated fluids [3] or by contact with contaminated surfaces [4].

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern due to COVID-19 [5] and on March 12, 2020, due to the speed of transmission of the disease was declared a pandemic, by this date, 125,000 cases had been reported from 118 countries and territories [6] including Mexico, which was in phase 1 (importation) and reported its first case on February 28, 2020. Due to the spread of the pandemic in Mexico, phase 2 (community dispersal) of the disease began on March 24, 2020, and on March 30, the government declared a national health emergency [7]. The national day of healthy distance was implemented, a national strategic program of actions to mitigate the spread and transmission of the virus that included the suspension of non-essential activities, cancelation of events or meetings of more than 50 people, hygiene measures such as the washing of hands frequently, sneezing or coughing applying the respiratory tag (using the fold of the arm at the elbow level), not shaking hands or kissing and home protection of the entire population [8], however, despite the actions implemented, April 21, 2020, was released phase 3 (epidemic) of the disease [9].

As part of the Mexican government's strategy to reduce the spread of the virus, since March 14, 2020, the Ministry of Public Education suspended face-to-face education in the classroom [10], and to continue with academic activities, they were implemented new teaching strategies through the use of virtual media and work from home, to conclude the school year, which at the time of suspension had an advance of 73% [11]. However, in Mexico online education has several limitations such as the absence of a computer or lack of access to the internet, which affects the academic achievement of the students. Additionally, the main measures against the pandemic is social distancing and isolation [12], but social isolation added to the uncertainty of progress, the lack of an effective treatment and vaccine, and the prolongation of quarantine have generated negative psychological manifestations such as anger, irritability, aggressiveness, excessive vigilance in the face of possible symptoms of the disease, predisposing the population to the development of anxiety disorders, depression, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder [13–15]. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to describe the effects that social isolation has caused mental health and scholar challenges in the Mexican student population.

### **2. Influence of COVID-19 on the mental health of Mexicans**

Mass confinement at home, lack of social interaction, adaptation to new work and study routines at home and lack of physical activity are stressful changes that affect emotional regulation [16]. Social isolation generates maladaptive behaviors that affect work, family, social and educational relationships (**Table 1**).

In addition to the negative effects associated with social isolation, in people who have been in contact with COVID-19 positive patients, there is an increase in negative feelings such as fear, nervousness, guilt, and sadness compared to people who have not had these contacts [18], possibly due to fear of contagion.

In the Mexican population, it is estimated that up to 50.3% of the population may present psychological distress, 15.7% symptoms of depression, and 22.6% symptoms of anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak [19], and these manifestations are even greater in the female population, they reveal elevated levels of psychological stress, anxiety and depression [19, 20]. In general, it is estimated that the indicators that generate more stress in the Mexican population are that the health system collapses and there are insufficient resources to care for the sick, which also generates episodes of anxiety and uncertainty [20].

*The Social Isolation Triggered by COVID-19: Effects on Mental Health and Education in Mexico DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93886*


#### **Table 1.**

*Maladaptive behaviors associated with social isolation [17].*

Additionally, other studies have revealed that the greatest concerns of the Mexican population center on the possibility of contracting COVID-19, the loss of employment, and the reduction of economic income [21]. According to the international project COVIDSTRESS, the Mexican population has a moderate level of stress, and only 11% of the surveyed population shows high levels, and the data is consistent in stating that the female population is the one with the highest levels, this associated factors such as economic concerns, the risk of contagion of COVID-19, fear of being hospitalized, concern for friends and family who live far away [22], additionally this study also showed that the population showing the highest levels of stress, they are those who have followed the indications of maintaining social isolation, compared to the population that did not make changes in their social life to face the pandemic [22]. Consistently, the Universidad Iberoamericana, AC, through the Research Institute for Development with Equity (EQUIDE) conducted the Monitoring Survey of the Effects of COVID-19 on the Well-being of Mexican Households (ENCOVID-19) to learn how the crisis due to the pandemic has affected the well-being of Mexican households and reported that as of May 2020, 8.4 million people had lost their jobs, were suspended without pay, or could not go out to look for work and of these, 31.4% presented severe anxiety symptoms, mostly women [23], consistent with the studies mentioned above.

On the other hand, there are social groups that are more vulnerable to stress and mental health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (**Table 2**), which have even higher levels of anxiety than the general population.

Mexican university students report that, during the confinement stage, they have suffered headaches, a feeling of lack of control and little satisfaction with carrying out their activities, others suffer from overwhelming, nervousness, bad mood, less activity and feelings of futility and sleep problems [25]. Interestingly, in this population it is men who present higher levels of anxiety; however, women present higher levels of psychosomatic symptoms, insomnia, social dysfunction, depression, and stress [25]. Frustration, high levels of stress and physical and emotional exhaustion are some of the characteristics of the population that changed their daily routine and began to work from home.

It should also be noted that the uncertainty generated by the pandemic is perceived differently, depending on the social strata. Although the fear and stress caused by the pandemic affects the entire population, definitely people in marginalized situations, with low income, in situations of poverty and extreme poverty, see stress situations intensified due to the presence of other factors such as unemployment, violence, lack of access to digital, and medical services among others [26] situations, that make this population especially vulnerable to the effects of mental health generated by the fear of suffering from COVID-19.

On the other hand, people with better economic income and in more favorable social situation can fall into a state of susceptibility and false interpretations of the symptoms, which leads them to carry out irrational behaviors such as frequently attending the health system, excessive hand washing, social withdrawal, and compulsive purchases, for example, antibacterial gel, masks, gloves, and disinfectant soap [27] generating shortages and consequently an increase in the price of these items [28], adding even more stress to the classes less favored social groups who will be unable to access disease prevention supplies.

Added to this, the misinformation generated in social networks, the media, and the false news found on the internet create alarm and concern, and this misinformation is associated with panic purchases of unnecessary medical supplies and drugs [29], which also causes states of stress, and negative emotions and thoughts that put the mental health of the population at risk [30].

In this regard, the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City has declared that calls to the psychological support line increased by 40% compared to the records before the pandemic. Most communicating patients express fear and anxiety about contagion and agree that this situation is associated with prolonged periods of social isolation [31]. Some recommendations issued by the Council and other authors, to mitigate the effects on mental health by the COVID-19 pandemic are summarized in **Table 3**.


#### **Table 2.**

*Social groups vulnerable in Mexico to the negative impacts of COVID-19 on mental health [24].*


#### **Table 3.**

*Recommendations to mitigate mental health effects from the COVID-19 pandemic [18, 21, 32, 33].*

*The Social Isolation Triggered by COVID-19: Effects on Mental Health and Education in Mexico DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93886*
