COVID Pandemic has impacted to the Mental Health: IIHMR University Study
India | IIHMR University in its
series of PUBLIC HEALTH AND MENTAL WELLBEING DISCUSSION
SERIES: ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND SOLUTIONS AMID COVID 19 organized a webinar on ‘Mental Health – A Global
Public Health Challenge’. The eminent speakers from the University of London,
University of Manchester, and IIHMR University shared their research work and
thoughts on the spectrum of mental health during COVID, and coping strategies.
The key speakers were – Prof. Mohammed Abou – Saleh, Professor of Psychiatry,
St. George’s, University of London; Prof. Vimal Sharma, Professor of Global
Mental Health Research, University of Manchester and Dr. S D Gupta, Chairman of
IIHMR University.
Dr. S D Gupta, Chairman of IIHMR University said, “Mental Illness is the second leading cause
of disease burden in India. And COVID has made this ratio worst with a sudden
impact with various factors affecting mental well-being. People were worried
about livelihood but the massive impacts on mental health were due to factors
such as lockdown, migration, job losses, deaths of family members, work from
home, household violence, and study from home due to COVID. Patients who were
having mental health issues before COVID, how they managed without
non-availability of mental health care during COVID times.”
As per Lancet Psychiatry
2020 report, One in every seven Indians were affected by mental disorders of
varying severity in 2017. The proportional contribution of mental disorders to
the total disease burden in India has almost doubled since 1990. Substantial
variations exist between the states in the burden from different mental
disorders and in their trends over time. With the COVID pandemic, this ratio of
mental disorders in the Indians must have made the worst impact. COVID has
disrupted all countries' Sustainable Development Goals and has shifted the
priority towards the urgency of health management, and this includes mental
wellbeing too.
Dr Mohammed Abou – Saleh, Professor of Psychiatry, St.
George’s, University of London, said, “COVID pandemic is
the greatest challenge of the 21st century. But human intelligence has created
a good science that has come to rescue us. As per WHO COVID dashboard, globally
as of July 2021, there have been over 182.3 million confirmed cases including
over 3.9 million deaths, and as of 28th June 2021, over 2950.1 million vaccine
doses have been administered. This whole unwanted pandemic event has changed
human life suddenly with various devastating factors such as – Socioeconomic
status like low income, unemployment, income inequality, low education, low
social support; Inadequate housing, overcrowding and neighborhood violence;
natural disaster, migration, changes in income and environmental degradation.”
Dr. Vimal Sharma, Professor of Global Mental Health
Research, University of Manchester said, “Health system should
create a complete management process of curing the Mental Health Problems.
Management of distress can be cured by meeting the patient’s emotional needs.
Connecting and talking to people, Yoga and Spiritual Ways, Active Exercise,
Taking notice of nice things, Avoiding watching the COVID news, Keep learning
on how to win over stress, positive thinking can help to manage the distress.”
Due to COVID 19 aftershocks,
many low-income and middle-income countries are forced to reimagine the health
systems in their countries. Some of them have taken rapid steps towards
responses to the mental health impact in their countries. India has made
tremendous efforts by setting a) Toll-Free Mental Health Helpline, b) Kerala
State Government established a multidisciplinary team, c) 1140 psychiatrists,
counsellors, and social workers trained to assess the psychological health of
people with COVID infected, older people living alone and children., d) 1.3
million calls to people in quarantined and other vulnerable individuals e)
Opioid drug replacement therapy dispensed fortnightly to more than 0.5 million
patients.
All the speakers emphasized
the need of training public health professionals on mental health management in
primary health care system as there is a dearth of psychiatrists. Global mental Health Assessment Tool is
well-tested one to train the PHC medical officers and ANMs to help the public
at their level.
Dr. P R Sodani, President of IIHMR University welcomed the speakers. The webinar was moderated Dr.
Vinod Kumar SV, Dean and Professor, SDG SPH– IIHMR University. The webinar
‘Mental Health – A Global Public Health Challenge’ was attended by 300+ health
area experts and students from countries such as India, Bhutan, China, UK, and
the US.
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