Body-Mind Medicine Interventions in COVID-19 Place Confinement for Mental, Physical and Spiritual Wellbeing

Abstract

The SARS-COV-2 virus has changed people’s lives and caused significant public health issues. The lockdown implemented by several governments across the globe has raised serious concerns on mental and physical wellbeing. Doctors, nurses and other COVID-19 frontline workers being put under extreme pressure to attend to patients’ health are being impacted by high stress levels which can result in burn-out and the inability to cope with the situation. This paper draws on multi-disciplinary research including complementary, traditional and integrative medicine, behavioral medicine, and social and environmental psychology to develop and propose a single integrative model of wellbeing encompassing dimensions of mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing in a pandemic context. The article discusses COVID-19 place confinement as a context to deliver body-mind medicine interventions in this challenging time. The aim is to provide the required support to promote behavior change for better public health outcomes. A range of cognitive behavioral therapies including psycho-social, psycho-educational, relaxation, meditation and nature therapies are discussed. Promoting alternative forms of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine in the local, global communities are discussed as preventive and sustainable measures to improve public health and wellbeing aligning with Global Health and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This has important implications for people’s wellbeing and quality of life during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.