MENTAL HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH DURING PANDEMICS
Dr. Abu Sadat Mohammad Nurunnabi
MENTAL HEALTH DURING PANDEMICS
Dr. Abu Sadat Mohammad Nurunnabi
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection can spread through person to person contact and/or via airborne transmission1. Several countries declared a state of emergency and imposed Stage 3 lockdown restrictions in an attempt to prevent spread of the disease. Infection control measures such as travel bans, social distancing, and self-isolation were put in place to protect those at risk of contracting COVID-19. This caused widespread disruption to the farms and industries including changes or cancellations to daily schedules for people engaged in those sectors and associated suppliers. The impact of this disruption on lifestyle factors, sleep, and mental health in those people was huge. Much has been reported about the ill-termed “mental health pandemic” that seems to be surging through many countries in lockstep with lockdowns and the death, societal disruption, and economic devastation of the viral pandemic. Many experts have sounded the alarm for an approaching tsunami of psychological maladies that could sink an already overburdened mental healthcare system both in developed and developing countries.
Some of the pandemic related stressors are mentioned below:2
In its guidebook, Protecting Mental Health During Epidemics, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) notes that the majority of psychological and social problems that occur during an epidemic are “normal reactions to an abnormal situation” rather than diseases. Signs that differentiate a “normal” reaction from a potentially pathological one, PAHO says, are prolonged or intense suffering, the presence of associated complications such as suicidal behavior, and problems that significantly impact an individual’s routine and social functioning.2
Experience shows that during a pandemic crisis, mental health plans cannot be limited to expanding and improving the specialized services offered directly to the people affected; rather, the perspective needs to shift toward a much broader area of expertise.2
For example, emphasis can be placed on the relationship between mental health services and a broad range of activities, such as:2
1
Humanitarian and social assistance
2
Counseling for the population and at-risk groups
3
Mass communication
It has also been recognized that following major catastrophes, prolonged care is needed for the mental health problems of survivors while they face the task of rebuilding their lives. This raises the need for devising medium- and long-term psychosocial recovery plans.
Last but not the least, some special recommendations for first-line fighters after resuming daily life:2
- Return to your routine as soon as possible;
- Do physical and relaxation exercises;
- Seek contact with nature;
- Get enough rest and sleep;
- Eat regular balanced meals;
- Do not try to lessen suffering by using drugs and alcohol;
- Seek company and speak with other people;
- Participate in family and social activities.
- Observe and analyze your own feelings and thoughts; reflect on what you have experienced and its meaning in life.
References:
1. Morawska L, Cao J. Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2: The world should face the reality. Environ Int. 2020;139:105730.
2. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Protecting Mental Health During Epidemics. 2009. Retrieved from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/protecting-mental-health-during-epidemics (Accessed February 1, 2021).
Dr. Abu Sadat Mohammad Nurunnabi, MBBS, MPhil, MSc
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
University of Toronto
ON, Canada
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