Covid-19 impact on our mental health and how to deal with it | Doctors’ roundtable

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[REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE] Critical Covid-19 patients receiving oxygen in a Gurudwara in Ghaziabad on Wednesday

[REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE] Critical Covid-19 patients receiving oxygen in a gurudwara in Ghaziabad on Wednesday (Photo credit: PTI)

India is experiencing an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases. The second wave of the pandemic destroyed the health infrastructure and life in the country as we know it.

Experts say the mental health consequences of this pandemic for Covid patients and their families, while immense, are a serious concern for the country.

India Today TV spoke to medical professionals to get a feel for how the pandemic is affecting Indians. Here are some excerpts from the interaction:

Q: What is the impact of the second wave of Covid-19 on the mental health of Indians?

DR.VIKRAM PATEL, PROFESSOR, GLOBAL HEALTH, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL:

What India is experiencing on a scale that has probably never been seen before is a huge humanitarian crisis. There are widespread fears and concerns about getting infected with the infection. And more importantly, it has to do with the comfort we have in people, whom we trust, who break down around us. And then you have certain sub-groups that are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

First, we must acknowledge the unique need of the people who survived Covid. Those who had acute breathing problems and were given ventilators. The second are those who have not been to school for over a year. And the third are women who are in a very patriarchal society, locked in their homes and not only busy with their work but also with their children and other domestic chores.

And finally, people who already had mental health problems. This group is 2-3 times more likely to die from suffering from Covid, just like we see it with other chronic diseases.

Q: What symptoms should people look out for in their loved ones and loved ones?

DR.SAMEER PAREKH, FORTIS HEALTHCARE:

One in five people definitely suffers from a mental illness. Now something unprecedented has hit us hard. The most basic fear is: will my family and I be okay? And it starts to play in your head based on the data, the news, the false narrative, and the social media. Then there is the work from home, the fear of isolation and quarantine and whether I will get a bed and treatment.

A panic situation arises. That could be you; It could be me, all of us. I am in quarantine; A close family member is Covid positive. The constant fear is what’s next? We have to look for sleep problems, restlessness, mood swings, not eating on time or foregoing food and work, not wanting to talk to people, feeling panicked and not getting on with the normal functioning of life.

When this happens, speak to the individual. We don’t have enough experts. We have to go to our most basic support system: family, colleagues, neighbors, SHEVs; More communication, more time, and acceptance of fear as a human response. In the face of unprecedented devastation, we must respond. Accept it and work on it.

Q: What about children who are locked up at home, unable to go to school, and meet their friends?

DR.AMIT SEN, PSYCHIATRIST:

When it comes to children’s mental health, we often seem to be in a blind spot. One reason could be: we don’t want to acknowledge it; It is very difficult for us as a society or community to accept this.

Second, many children’s mental health problems manifest themselves in behavioral disorders such as tantrums, large mood swings, rebellion, substance abuse, and screen addiction. At this point, parents, schools, and the wider community begin to treat them as behavioral problems rather than undercurrent of emotional distress. And that makes it a lot worse.

Q: The parents themselves have major psychological problems. How should you deal with the situation?

DR.BHAVNA BARMI, PSYCHOLOGIST:

Covid as a pandemic and mental health as an epidemic go hand in hand. Parents need to be sensitively vigilant about what their child is going through. Children give certain signals even when they cannot express them.

When the sleep pattern is disturbed, when the appetite palette is different, when the child cannot concentrate, one has to be careful, sensitive and emotionally aware of what is happening in their life.




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