How Has COVID Impacted Mental Health Services Worldwide?

According to a new WHO report, the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed or suspended vital mental health services in 93 per cent of nations globally, despite rising demand for mental health care. The survey of 125 countries provides the first global evidence of COVID-19's disastrous impact on mental health care access.

Before the pandemic, countries were spending less than 2% of their national health budgets on mental health and were struggling to satisfy their people's requirements, according to the World Health Organization.

Mental Care

The epidemic is driving up demand for mental health care. Isolation, grief, loss of income, and fear are all factors that can cause or exacerbate mental health issues. Many people may be experiencing an increase in their alcohol and drug consumption and insomnia and anxiety. COVID-19, on the other hand, has been linked to neurological and mental health issues such as agitation, psychosis, and stroke. Those with pre-existing mental, neurological, or substance-abusing illnesses are more likely to contract SARS-CoV-2 and are at more risk of severe consequences, including death.

Good mental health is very fundamental to overall health and well-being; COVID-19 has disrupted critical mental health services around the world at a crucial time. World politicians must move fast and decisively to invest more in life-saving mental health programmes ̶ during the pandemic and beyond.

Major Disruptions to Key Mental Health Services Are Discovered in A Survey.

From June to August 2020, the survey was conducted in 130 countries throughout WHO's six regions. It assesses how COVID-19 has affected the delivery of mental, neurological, and drug use services, the sorts of services that have been disrupted, and how nations are changing to meet these problems.

Different Types of Important Mental Health Services

Children and adolescents (71 per cent),

older persons (69 per cent),

and women seeking prenatal or postnatal services (60 per cent)

all experienced disruptions to mental health services for vulnerable populations (61 per cent).

Counselling and psychotherapy were disrupted in 67 per cent of cases, necessary harm reduction treatments in 65 per cent, and opioid agonist maintenance treatment in 45 per cent of cases.

Emergency interventions, such as those for patients having extended seizures, severe substance use withdrawal syndromes, and delirium, which is typically a sign of a dangerous underlying medical condition, were found to be disrupted by more than a third (35 per cent).

Access to drugs for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders was disrupted by 30% of respondents.

Around three-quarters said mental health services at school and work have been disrupted somehow (78 per cent and 75 per cent, respectively).

Guidance

During COVID-19, WHO has released guidelines to nations on preserving vital services, including mental health services, and recommends that countries dedicate resources to mental health as an integral part of their response and recovery strategies. The Organization also encourages governments to watch service changes and disruptions to respond appropriately.

Even though mental health and psychosocial support are included in 88per cent of nations' national COVID-19 response plans, only 17 per cent of these countries have complete supplementary funds to cover these activities.