Covid-19 leading to a major mental health crisis: UN

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a major mental health crisis across the world, the United Nations (UN) said on Thursday briefing. He also called for urgent action to be taken to address the psychological suffering of people under the lockdown, as per the Agence France Presse (AFP) report.

While physical health concerns loom over people amidst the coronavirus outbreak, it is also leading to mental strain on large swathes of the global population, the UN maintained in the policy brief.

"After decades of neglect and under-investment in mental health services, the Covid-19 pandemic is now hitting families and communities with additional mental stress," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a video message launching the brief.

"Even when the pandemic is brought under control, grief, anxiety, and depression will continue to affect people and communities," he said.

The major mental health crisis has come to the forefront as people have developed a fear of losing their loved ones to the pandemic, which has already killed around 3,00,000 people globally since it first emerged in China in late December.

Mental health is deteriorating as people scare of losing their livelihood due to the crumbling economy of countries.

"We know that the current situations, the fear, and uncertainty, the economic turmoil -- they all-cause or could cause psychological distress," Devora Kestel, head of the World Health Organisation's mental health and substance use department, told a virtual briefing.

Health care workers and first responders -- operating under "tremendous stress" -- are particularly vulnerable, Kestel said, pointing to news reports indicating rises in suicides among medical workers.

It is not only limited to elders, but it has also started causing distress among young children as well, who cannot go outdoors or to school due to the prolonged lockdown.

Earlier, the UN had also warned that the lockdown may increase the domestic violence cases against women as people are now spending a lengthy amount of time in homes.

The elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, who are considered particularly at risk from the virus, meanwhile face increased stress over the threat of infection.

And people with pre-existing psychological issues could see them exacerbated. The one-on-one therapy session is also not possible due to the lockdown.

Thursday's policy brief pointed to a range of national studies indicating that mental distress is mounting rapidly.

Kestel said that one study conducted in the Amhara region of Ethiopia showed that 33 percent of the population was suffering from depression-linked symptoms -- "a three-fold increase" from before the pandemic.

Other studies indicated that mental distress prevalence amid the crisis was as high as 60 percent in Iran and 45 percent in the United States (US).

She also pointed to a Canadian study showing nearly half of health care workers said they needed psychological support.

The UN brief stressed the need for countries to include access to psychosocial support and emergency mental care in all aspects of their response to the pandemic.

It called for a significant hike in investments in this area, pointing out that before the crisis, countries on average dedicated only two percent of their public health budgets to mental health support, AFP report added.

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