Many people are said to be suffering from serious psychic problems caused by the devastating effects of the coronavirus — the main psychological impact to date is elevated rates of stress or anxietyin Bangladesh.
An overwhelming majority of those who already experienced being infected by coronavirus while sharing information said that they suffered from anxiety and stress while staying in isolation. They also said that loneliness led to depression, often leading to suicidal behaviour.
Psychiatrists said that corona virus infection has led to an increase in 'psychological disruption' in persons who already experienced the infection. They said that fear of getting corona infection, the risk of virus contamination from people nearby, the fear of death, uncertainty about livelihood and financial crisis are creating stress.
The United Nations has also warned of a mental health crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic and the World Health Organization said that even if mental patients receive the highest level of treatment, their symptoms will still increase.
In addition, there is a risk of layoffs in various institutions and factories. Employees of different classes and professions are under mental stress for fear of losing their jobs. Conditions of working women and housewives are not good either.
Some people have reportedly committed suicide because they could not bear the news of being infected with corona virus. All in all, experts said that the prevalence of coronavirus infection is having a devastating effect on people's mental health.
They said the virus has caused a kind of panic in the minds of the common people. Many people are suffering from insomnia, body aches, loss of concentration at work, depression and irritability due to mental problems.
Doctors advise getting enough sleep, not waking up at night, resting according to the rules and doing light exercise. It is a matter of great concern that treatment options for those infected are few and in such situation, patients suffer from anxiety.
The National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital attaches great importance to the mental health of the general public and physicians. The hospital has recently launched online mental health services where two telephone numbers were made available for consultation.
Anyone can talk to a psychiatrist directly from 8 am to 10 pm. The mobile telephone numbers are – 01404000080 and 01404000081. In addition, WhatsApp service has been launched to offer treatment advises through video chatting. The numbers are – 01404000082 and 01404000083.
According to director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, patients can go to the local health service center and get services from the doctors of the hospital through the telemedicine center.
