Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 71
One of the
key findings
from the
study is that
the pandemic
and the threat
of serious
infectious
diseases are
traumatic
for children,
impacting
greatly their
mental health
and wellbeing
The World Health Organization warned that coronavirus may never go away
problems in children,� she added.
One of the key findings from the study is that the
pandemic and the threat of serious infectious diseases
are traumatic for children, impacting greatly their
mental health and wellbeing.
�ut it’s not �ust children. In Italy, 80 percent of
adults needed mental health support to cope with the
impact of coronavirus, according to a survey from May
when the country was emerging from its lockdown.
Now with the country on the brink of a deep recession,
psychologists warn of a calamity in mental health, as
people struggle with financial hardship.
The pandemic and the uncertainty it’s wrought
have exacerbated anxiety and depression in those
already suffering, while others are dealing with mental
health issues for the first time. Recognising this,
governments and international organisations are
beginning to respond.
In Italy, the government has set up a task force to
guide the country through the post-lockdown era.
And in Canada, a report by Mental Health Research
Canada showed that levels of anxiety and depression
had increased significantly across the country since
the lockdown. Two in five Canadians reported being
negatively impacted by self-isolation, while almost
one-third had increased alcohol consumption. Levels
of anxiety also quadrupled.
The World Health Organization last month warned
that coronavirus �may never go away� and predicted
a global mental health crisis looming, particularly in
countries where there’s been a lack of investment in
mental healthcare.
And at the same time that mental health is
declining, people are also feeling that the support
they get has also fallen, with several reports of people
diagnosed with an anxiety disorder saying they had
less access to mental-health support than before the
outbreak.
As countries plan ways to get their societies and
economies back on track and try to negate as much
of the coronavirus fallout as they can, mental-health
will be central to the relief effort, said the �nited
Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, in a Time
magazine editorial in May.
“The covid-19 virus is not only attacking our
physical health; it is also increasing psychological
suffering. Mental health is at the core of our humanity.
It enables us to lead rich and fulfilling lives and to
participate fully in our communities,� he wrote.
�I urge governments, civil society, health authorities
and others to come together urgently to address the
severe mental health consequences of this pandemic.�
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JULY 2020
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