Canberra-Sana
A study examining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of the world’s population revealed that depression and anxiety cases increased by more than a quarter worldwide due to the outbreak of the pandemic, noting that countries that imposed strict closure restrictions were the most affected by that increase.
The lead author of the study, published in the medical journal "The Lancet", Damian Santomauro of the Queensland Center for Mental Health Research in Australia, said that the incidence of major depressive disorders and anxiety disorders increased by up to 28 percent, explaining that this study was to assess the global effects of the epidemic on depressive and anxiety disorders according to Age, gender, and location included 204 countries and territories around the world.
Santomauro pointed to the urgent need to strengthen the health systems responsible for treating mental conditions, explaining that before the outbreak of the epidemic, mental health care systems in most countries were suffering from lack of resources and lack of organization, which makes the task more difficult now.
The study showed that women were more affected than men because they were more likely to be affected by the social and economic consequences of this epidemic, while young people were more affected than older groups due to school closures and broader restrictions that limit their ability to learn and interact with their peers. Pressure on the mental health of young people.