The Covid emergency is causing the growth of reports of anxiety and fear, sleep disturbances and even serious depression. This is explained in an editorial that will be published in World Psichiatry, anticipated by ANSA, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
For Ghebreyesus "mental health systems in all countries need to be strengthened to cope with the impact". "Any success in addressing people's anxiety and anguish will make it easier for them to have the will and ability to follow the guidelines of the health authorities" to contain the infection.
Many people around the world - he adds - suffer from the loss of livelihoods and opportunities, those who love a person with COVID-19 are faced with concerns and separation. Some turn to alcohol, drugs or potentially risky behaviors such as gambling.
Domestic violence has increased. Finally, those who experience the death of a family member from COVID-19 may not have the opportunity to be physically present at the last moments or to hold funerals according to cultural tradition, which could interfere with the mourning process. "
"There are also - underlines the WHO director general - reports from countries and in the scientific literature that COVID-19 disease is increasingly associated with mental and neurological manifestations, as well as with anxiety, sleep disturbances and depression. COVID-19 is likely to aggravate pre-existing mental and neurological health problems and substance use disorders and limit access for those in need of services.
In many countries, mental health services in the community have stopped working. However, over 20% of adults over the age of 60 have underlying mental or neurological conditions: they represent a high percentage of people with severe COVID-19 disease.
Psychiatrist, mental health protection both in Phase 2
Maj programs , large increase in requests for intervention
The protection of mental health is an absolute priority at this stage of the evolution of the pandemic from COVID-19: this is the message launched in an editorial in Word Psychiatry magazine by the WHO director general and according to Professor Mario Maj, editor of the magazine and Director of the Psychiatry Department of the "Vanvitelli" University of Naples, "in our country, university psychiatric clinics and mental health departments are facing a significant increase in requests for intervention".
"The competent authorities - Maj stresses - must be aware of this new emergency that is looming, and consider it in the programs to deal with the 'phase 2 of the pandemic". of unbearable concern for the future (in several cases justified by the family's financial situation).
The evolution will largely depend on the interventions that the "country system" will be able to implement concretely. However, they must be dealt with immediately in an efficient way, not only because they produce serious suffering, but because they can lead to states of extreme despair, which we all - the whole 'country system' - must prevent as far as possible. "" Listening to these people is not it is enough - Maj continues - we must intervene with the tools of the mental health professions, to reduce the discomfort but also to promote resilience ".
"Burnout cases among health workers who have been and are at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic must be considered - he adds - these are pictures of serious physical and mental exhaustion, with feelings of guilt, inadequacy and failure, often associated with problems in marital and family relationships. Even in these cases specific interventions must be implemented, to prevent more serious cadres such as post-traumatic stress disorder ".