The pandemic will have a long-term impact on global mental health: how to cope with this crisis

The coronavirus pandemic will have a “long-term” impact on the mental health of populations, warned the World Health Organization (WHO) and European health ministers on Thursday during a two-day meeting in Athens.

“From anxiety linked to the transmission of the virus, to the psychological impact of confinements and self-isolation, the consequences of unemployment, financial difficulties up to social exclusion, (…), everyone is affected in one way or another”, Detailed the ministers and the WHO in a press release.

The pandemic will have a “long-term and far-reaching impact”, they worry. “We are talking about a key element of our health, which requires action now ” governments, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for the opening in Athens of a two-day forum on the impact of the pandemic. “We must speak openly about the stigma that accompanies mental health”he added.

For Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, “the pandemic has exacerbated the enormous mental health challenge … There is no excuse to delay”.

The WHO considers that “it is not only contagion or the fear of contagion that has affected the mental health of the population”. “The stress caused by socio-economic inequalities and the effects of quarantine, lockdown, school and workplace closures have had huge consequences.“, Underline the ministers and the WHO in their joint communiqué. “The pandemic shook the world. More than 4 million lives have been lost around the world, income has been destroyed, families and communities have been separated, businesses have gone bankrupt... ”, recalls the director of WHO in Europe, Dr Hans Kluge.

“Mental health and well-being must be seen as fundamental human rights”he goes on to ask states to reconsider access to healthcare.

WHO recommendations to European countries include strengthen mental health services in general, improve access to care through digital technology, increase psychological support services in schools, universities, in the workplace and for the people they work on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.

At the start of the pandemic, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned that there was the possibility that people would feel more stressed and worried during the public health emergency. The outbreak of the disease caused by a virus has triggered a global and regional situation of uncertainty due to the rapid inability to stop it and the lack of knowledge about how it affects each person. The fear of getting sick and dying has increased.

“There is clearly an increase in anxiety symptoms in more people today,” had said in an interview with Infobae the psychiatrist Marcelo Cetkovich, medical director of INECO. “Since the start of the pandemic, symptoms that indicate more worry have been observed, along with nervousness or irritability. In some people, it can even lead to tachycardia and maximum panic attacks, ”Cetkovich added.

Faced with anxiety, the specialist considers that it is – in reality – an emotional response that allows human beings to face themselves in a context that they cannot modify. With the pandemic, there is a situation of health and economic uncertainty, and it is normal for symptoms of anxiety to increase. The problem is that having prolonged for so long people start to suffer from mental fatigue.“, I consider.

Anxiety involves the activation of two endocrine systems in the human body: on the one hand, adrenaline and norepinephrine in the short term, and on the other hand, the release of cortisol in the medium and long term. When these changes occur, different bodily symptoms can be triggered. Mental health experts suggest different guidelines for managing anxiety and avoiding distress.

According to Dr. Cetkovich, you need to be physically active, such as taking brisk walks outside and wearing a mask. One advice from PAHO is: “Do not use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs to manage your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the situation, talk to a mental health professional ”.

With information from AFP

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