The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic’s impact on mental health is a global issue, and is likely to be a long-term problem. Quarantine, combined with an unprecedented requirement to change human social behavior, is causing stress. At home, between genders and quarantined families, domestic violence is highly problematic. COVID-19’s mental health impact includes anxiety and panic, financial stress, and depression. Alarmingly, in some surveys, the average number of people across multiple countries who said they felt “very stressed” had tripled since the lockdown began (up from 10 percent to 30 percent of respondents). Suicides and suicide pacts between couples are appearing in various places around the world. The world’s labor pool is being affected by the pandemic. Mental wellness is an important part of productivity and this has been reduced by COVID-19’s life-changing ways. With the majority of people around the world affected by the pandemic, the collective level of workplace stress, anxiety and uncertainty is affecting productivity, which is dropping by hours a day. It is estimated that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Given the emotional toll of the pandemic, that figure will likely be much higher this year. The global reduction in force (RIF) is resulting in uncertainty around the world, as labor pools undergo contraction, affecting almost everyone in one form or another and taxing mental wellness. The end result of a layoff and an RIF is the same: You lose your job, usually for reasons out of your control. However, there are some small differences, including the possibility of being rehired in the future as the economy rebounds. However, in some areas of the globe — especially crowded urban locations — mental wellness will become an acute issue. Outside cities, where norms and traditions may be different, mental wellness may not yet be receiving the appropriate attention. In the past, layoffs typically came with an expectation that the employee might be rehired if more work became available or if the employer’s financial condition improved. An RIF, on the other hand, does not come with such an expectation, especially during a pandemic. Those who can adjust to the new technological requirements of the work-from-home concept will be better placed than those who cannot. Members of the latter group risk finding themselves out of work if their employment evaporates and is not replaced. This situation is producing stress and anxiety that will be a great part of what is likely to be a global economic depression. For those who have already lost their jobs, the global RIF brought about by COVID-19 is forcing the creation of a class, if you will, of “unemployables,” among which many people will be suffering mental wellness issues. Residents of cities around the world are increasingly facing the same types of stress, as well as the ugly side of untreated mental health issues, such as violence and suicide as a result of lockdown and the pathogen itself. Families and children are vulnerable and access to counseling through telemedicine will be critical. The mental strain of COVID-19 is also impacting people’s physical health. And the uncertainty about when the pandemic will end — which may be never, according to a recent comment by a World Health Organization official — is adding angst. Financial issues and job insecurity are causing employees to feel heightened levels of stress. Community awareness of such issues is important. Mental wellness programs are required when training for management and leadership positions, including on stress management and meditation. Understanding children’s mental wellness is also critical as COVID-19 manifests itself in societies around the globe. It is important to recognize that releasing children from quarantine conditions is a serious and life-changing experience. As children return to school, the implications of lockdown on their mental wellness need to be monitored over the long term. Nevertheless, technologies like video conferencing tool Zoom can help adults and children stay connected in the lockdown environment. Now here is the bad and obvious news: This type of new human existence cannot replicate the necessary structured and unstructured interactions and peer relationships that are vital for human social and emotional development. Children, particularly young children, must be around other children for social skills and bonding purposes. As schools reopen, there needs to be community-based efforts to observe how the students, and their parents, are coping with these unprecedented social and behavioral modification conditions. The requirement to observe and measure mental wellness is paramount to managing any current or future anxieties. Overall, mental wellness is an important and fundamental aspect of today’s human security. Dr. Theodore Karasik is a senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics in Washington, D.C. He is a former RAND Corporation Senior Political Scientist who lived in the UAE for 10 years, focusing on security issues. Twitter: @tkarasik