Over the last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a major toll on everyone, with governments struggling to maintain stability. The most apparent drawback of the virus is its severe complications to our health.
What many people often overlook though is that the lockdown itself has caused serious mental health issues worldwide too.
Governments have imposed lockdowns and implemented strict travel guidelines, creating widespread anxiety and depression as well as other mental health problems. This feeling of isolation for over a year can also cause sleeplessness and most troubling, a reduced immune system. Aside from fending off against the virus, governments should do their best to address mental health issues too.
Government's Actions Towards Mental Health
Each country addresses the problem in its own ways but sadly, not every government is putting mental health in the limelight. On the flip side, some governments should be made as prime examples of how to handle this pressing problem that many people go through.
In Australia for example, the most common means to give people the help they need is through what’s called Telehealth which is essentially the practice of using social media and digital technology to give people access to healthcare. It’s crucial in times like these where face-to-face contact can be risky.
Patients can get psychological checkups done online. Although it’s not as intimate as face-to-face sessions with a psychiatrist, Telehealth checkups are far safer still. Further issues can arise following a telehealth appointment so it is important to double-check your healthcare coverage to make sure you are correctly insured. If prescription drugs are needed, you’ll be sent the documents online. Depending on the problems, a patient may be required to get more consultation done in the future. Alternatively, they can also be provided with prescription medicine to help them ease the problem even for a bit.
The steps of other countries remain relatively the same. The goal is to acknowledge that mental health problems are more common during lockdown phases. In doing so, people will be more open to accepting that they are suffering from something else and that they aren’t alright.
The good news is that governments are actively encouraging their citizens to get help if they see fit.
For now, the best way to address problems is through Telehealth. It works because Telehealth lets people get the immediate psychological help they need during these times. All they really need is a decent internet connection and a device to consult experts with.
Mental health issues are on the rise not because of the pandemic directly, but because of the concerns that come with it. The good news is that since the world is finally starting to recover from the pandemic, we might see improvements in mental health globally as well.
