The past year has been rough for a lot of people. While a lot of us were concerned about our physical and financial health, an often overlooked aspect of our being during the pandemic was our mental health. Have governments been doing enough to ensure that people’s mental health is well-taken care of?
There are several factors that affected the mental health of individuals during the pandemic. People became anxious about getting infected, they became scared for their future, and they began worrying about their loved ones and relatives as well. To cap it all off, isolation also affected the mental state of others.
Governments worldwide have been hard-pressed to ensure that people are physically healthy. They’ve implemented various guidelines that helped maintain the physical health of people. However, not all are addressing mental health as much as physical health.
Nations addressing mental health amid the pandemic
According to a recent study by WHO, there are major disruptions when it comes to how much countries invest in mental health services. At a time when the citizens need it most, most nations are unable to provide the necessary mental health benefits such as free consultations and access to medication.
On the other hand, some nations actually began investing more in mental health ever since the pandemic began. Some of those countries include Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden, the US, and the UK. Visit their website for more health information.
The most common means governments address the mental health condition during the pandemic is by giving them access to a hotline that they can call and refer to whenever they feel anxious, depressed, or just overall worried about their mental health.
While simple, this is an effective means to give people immediate attention, especially when they need it most. By opening up phone lines for a free consultation, people at least have something to rely on whenever they feel too much pressure from what’s going on around them.
One of the major concerns that people have when it comes to ensuring their mental health is the costs that come along with it. People have to spend for consultations, medications, lab tests, and many other professional fees.
Although there have been some lapses in regard to mental health and the treatment of it over the last couple of years, it’s good seeing that governments themselves have begun to treat it more seriously as well. Why does mental health matter as much as physical health during these trying times?
Impact of pandemic on mental health
Medical experts have said that it’s not surprising that a lot of people have begun to develop mental health problems during the pandemic. There are a lot of factors that cause problems during the pandemic. Some of the cases that people often experience include anxiety and depression.
One of the key factors that cause serious mental health problems is the isolation people experience at this time. Lockdown restrictions basically force people into locking themselves up at home. This feeling of isolation is not something that most people are used to, which causes them to feel sad and alone.
Another problem people are facing is the long-term effects of the pandemic, and how they are going to recover from it. Truthfully, a lot of people have lost their jobs or their business because of the pandemic. It shouldn’t be surprising that there are worries about people and their financial stability in the coming months and years.
This is just the tip of it, though; there are many other factors that cause a significant impact on one’s mental health at this time. Aside from physical manifestations, it’s also worth noting that suicide rates are also up at this time, and that’s something that no government should ever overlook.
Although parts of the world are already recovering from the pandemic, there are still lapses concerning our response to mental health. Hopefully, the world’s recovery also means that there are going to be better practices in the future for mental health as well.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg.
