Emotional meltdowns, mood swings, and anger outbursts are becoming more frequent within cloistered households, coterminously with rising incidence of domestic violence, child abuse, murder and suicides – Cynthia John, Archana N. & Mini P. Ludhiana. Seven people have been murdered in Ludhiana district by family members including husbands, wives and children in home isolation since the national lockdown was imposed on March 25. Gurgaon. Frustrated over constant quarrels during the lockdown period, a Gurgaon resident murdered his wife and subsequently committed suicide in April. According to their daughter, her parents were upset and frustrated about being confined at home for over a month and were constantly quarrelling. Mumbai. A seven-year-old boy with complaints of severe temper tantrums and extreme digital dependence was directed to a psychiatrist’s clinic in July. According to his parents, since the lockdown began he has been complaining about not being able to play outdoors. These complaints have escalated into aggravated temper tantrums when denied digital devices. These randomly selected case histories herald a new mental health problem — lockdown rage, aka Covid anger — defined as intense frustration and anger triggered by lockdown restrictions and social distancing rules necessitated by the rampaging Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the country. Six months since the first Covid-19 infection was reported in the southern state of Kerala, this deadly epidemic is showing no signs of abating with cases continuously spiking (2.5 million infections and 49,000 deaths countrywide upto August 15). Even as the country has begun Unlock 1.0, life and living in India’s 274 major towns and cities is nowhere near normal with localised lockdowns being imposed at short notice. Schools, colleges, offices, restaurants, cinemas, and parks are still shuttered and the great majority of the urban population is working from home even as millions are battling job loss, pay cuts and salary delays. The loss of personal freedom and mobility, financial and health anxieties and prolonged social isolation is playing havoc with the psychological and emotional well-being of children and parents. Consequently, emotional meltdowns, mood swings, and anger outbursts are becoming more frequent within cloistered households, coterminously with rising incidence of domestic violence, child abuse, murder and suicides. The Delhi-based National Commission for Women reports that domestic violence complaints hit a ten-year peak during the period March 25-May 31 with the commission having received 1,477 complaints from women across the country. Moreover, the Central government’s Childline India has reported that the number of distress calls from children requiring official intervention have risen to 1.58 lakh in March-July this year (cf. 1.4 lakh calls last year). Complaints of forced child marriages, emotional and sexual abuse of children, child trafficking, corporal punishment and cybercrime are rising by the day, warn Childline managers. “Five months on, many households are still unable to come to terms with the pandemic and the sea change it has prompted in life as we knew it. The new reality is parents working and children learning from cramped homes, in constant fear of the dreaded virus. All too often…
