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Mental health crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic

We must win the battle against mental health breakdown


Bangladeshpost
Published : 15 May 2020 10:04 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 04:04 PM

While presenting a UN report and policy guidance on COVID-19 and mental health, Devora Kestel, director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mental health department, rightly said that there might be an upsurge in the number and severity of mental illnesses and that governments should put the issue “front and centre” of their responses.

It needs no emphasising that the coronavirus has delivered traumatic blows to our collective mental well-being that are as invisible as the virus itself and, in many ways, as damaging as it.

The new reality of social distancing and other safety measures is testing everyone, and those living with mental illness may find this time even more challenging if the support system they rely on is not in place.

As the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded around globe, the ordinary life has been put on pause. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, school closings, work closings, and social distancing have created a level of social isolation previously unseen across the globe. Fears about finances and food shortages have placed additional stressors on an already anxious and sensitised population.


Coronavirus has delivered traumatic blows 

to our collective mental well-being that are 

as invisible as the virus itself


Given the circumstances, Bangladesh is not immune from the mental health issues either. This pandemic and the associated changes, including serious financial implications for many households, can have profound consequences for our mental health.

Experts fear that post-pandemic Bangladesh will have to deal with mass post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), triggered by the ongoing global health crisis. 

Considering the situation, policymakers, leaders, experts, and individuals must act now to win the battle against mental health breakdown.

Also motivating healthcare providers and other frontline workers, making mental health-friendly policies for the people living under poverty, ensuring job security, and education should be prioritised in fighting the mental health breakdown.

No doubt mental health needs must be treated as a core element of our response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A failure to take people's emotional well-being seriously will lead to long-term social and economic costs to society. As a nation, we must be prepared for the mental health pandemic that will follow the coronavirus pandemic.