‘Mental health problems and COVID-19’

Islamabad : Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL), in collaboration with University of Manchester organised an online event entitled ‘Mental Health Problems and COVID-19.’ The event was organised in line with ‘World Mental Health Day-2020’, which is celebrated world wide every year on 10th of October, says a press release.

According to WHO, 450 million people across the globe suffer from different types of mental health issues. In Pakistan, 1% of total population suffers from severe and 10% with mild mental health problems.

Along with all other impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, it has massively affected mental health of world population. In Pakistan where even before this outbreak, mental health was hardly given any significance generally, situation has further deteriorated many folds. To address, highlight and suggest solutions, PILL focused on four major areas during this seminar i.e. anxiety and depression, online education performance anxiety and suicidal ideation, stigma associated with mental health and work stress during COVID-19.

Talking on anxiety and depression, Dr. Saima Dawood, Director Centre for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab emphasized that due to COVID, not only rates of depression and anxiety have increased in Pakistan but at the same time, other psychological problems: apprehension, fear, irritability, frustration have also increased and above all, being developing country, lots of issues emerged due to financial crises which again triggered to manifold problems in households.

Highlighting online Education Performance anxiety and suicidal ideation, Prof. Nusrat Husain, Professor of Psychiatry, Director Research Global Mental Health, University of Manchester shared, “young people are the pillar of our society and we have to engage with the youth to build resilience during these challenging time which will ensure the overall health and well-being of the nation”.

Prof. Zainab Zadeh, Professional Scientist and Head of Division, child and adolescents mental health, PILL said, “COVID 19 pandemic had damaging effects of stigma on mental health and psychological wellbeing. It increased risk of psychological co morbidities including Anxiety related to health, Depression, Stress related disorders and Sleep disturbances. The fear of stigmatization prevented people from seeking medical help in a timely manner.”

Encompassing work stress, Dr. M Amjad Chaudhry, Addiction Psychiatrist, Head of Training and Development & Global Partnerships PILL, mentioned, “Work has been unprecedently affected the workforce that no other pandemic in the past century has done. I am delighted that PILL maintained its share 100% employment rate during the COVID-19 that shows the we empathetic understanding of the employees Mental and financial quotient