How Covid-19 is affecting mental health and what we can do about it?

World Health Organization argued that the Covid-19 has a tremendous impact on our mental health, and numerous independent studies have confirmed that by arguing the horror of the pandemic, the deaths of loved ones, social distancing, isolation, lockdown, loss of job, and the overall uncertainty and insecurity have caught on our nerves, and many people around the world are losing this battle. Studies also found that the Covid-19 caused and/or exacerbated existing psychological conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, loneliness, sleep deprivation frustration, social withdrawal, and suicidal tendencies. Furthermore, it affects the development of children in a way that can have a long-term effect on child psychology and their overall development. Therefore, it is imperative that we take active measures to ensure the mental wellbeing of ourselves and our loved ones, especially that of the children.

WHO realized that the situation is much worse than their anticipation after a survey by WHO found that mental health services were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It translates that the Covid-19 has not only caused or exacerbated the psychological conditions of the people but also it decreased/stopped the chance of seeking mental health care from the professionals; therefore, people are stuck with themselves with a worsening mental health condition and any hope of professional help is bygone for the most part.

In this circumstance, WHO, CDC, and many other organizations have taken various initiatives to help people all over the world. For example,

-WHO introduced a toolkit for older adults, i.e., Living with the Times, which can help them maintain good mental health and ensure wellbeing. The toolkit can be found here.

-WHO introduced a guideline on Basic Psychological Skills.

-WHO provided a guideline to cope with stress, which is available here

-Mental Health Innovators (MHIN) and WHO have collected narratives of individuals and organizations, who provided Psychosocial support during the Covid-19 period, to highlight and document their innovative techniques, improvisations of existing techniques, and methods to provide mental health support. This document can be found here.

-UNICEF has advocated for a multisectoral approach to improve mental health and wellbeing, which can be found here.

-The Humanitarian Library also shared their guidance and resources to improve mental health during the pandemic, which can be found here.

-IOM provided a toolkit named Mental Health and Psychological Support (MHPSS)

-American Psychological Association (APA) has shared its resources and guidance on psychosocial support and mental wellbeing, which can be found here.

One of the extraordinary initiatives to provide psychosocial help during the Covid-19 pandemic came from a Bangladeshi startup named Moner Bondhu (roughly translates ‘Friend of your Mind’). They provided online mental health support through their website, mobile application, and even hotline numbers. I am quoting from their Mission Page