Coping with Covid

While mental health is a frequently overlooked issue in our healthcare system, the reality is that it plays a major role in the life and welfare of people. A new study completed by AKU and its Community Health Services department has found that one out of every four Pakistanis suffers some degree of stress stemming from the Covid pandemic while three out of four people in the country experience more severe anxiety over the issue. The findings from the detailed report carried out in Sindh and Punjab noted that most people are anxious about losing a loved one to the disease, one out of every four fear for themselves and others are deeply concerned about the possibility of losing jobs and income. This is an aspect of the Covid virus that we have really not looked at at all. The degree of concern about the welfare of family members throws light on the nature of society. It is obvious that a very large number of people require help in coping with the mental changes so suddenly brought in. Never before in our history has there been a threat of quite this nature.

As a result families do not know how to manage the dangerous situation they must now live with on a day-to-day basis. Psychologists and mental health experts have been reporting that in many cases children and young people are among the worst affected. The fact that too often very little effort is made to discuss the disease contributes to this. There is also a large body of unreliable information available over social media. This adds to the confusion and anxiety of people.

Because so little attention is directed to mental health in our country, most people may not even be aware they are affected by the problems it creates. This is all the more true given the very limited number of trained therapists available to counsel people and offer them the kind of support they require. The stigma that surrounds mental health issues also prevents people from seeking help. In this scenario the study carried out by AKU and its team is an immensely valuable one. More studies of a similar nature over the coming months have been promised and there can be no doubt these will help us better understand how to help the millions affected by Covid-19 directly or indirectly. Even while a large number are not willing to acknowledge they are affected by the situation that they see around them, the truth is that a very large number is suffering. They require expert assistance as quickly as possible so that they can continue their lives to the best of their abilities in a world that has changed dramatically right before our eyes.