UN warns of global mental health crisis due to COVID-19

United Nations health experts have warned of a global mental crisis looming as billions surrounded by death amid the novel coronavirus also known as COVID-19 outbreak.

Media reports said the global pandemic that his claimed thousands of lives since first case emerged in November 2019 in Wuhan, mainland of coronavirus. Devora Kestel, director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mental health department said “The isolation, the fear, the uncertainty, the economic turmoil – they all cause or could cause psychological distress,” “An upsurge in the number and severity of mental illnesses is likely, and governments should put the issue “front and centre” of their responses.”

“The mental health and well-being of whole societies have been severely impacted by this crisis and are a priority to be addressed urgently,”

She presented a U.N. report and policy guidance on COVID-19 and mental health, which highlighted several regions and sections of societies as vulnerable to mental distress – including children and youngsters isolated from friends and educational institutions, healthcare workers who are looking after thousands of patients infected with and dying from the dread virus.

The world already is facing an economic crisis due to the coronavirus. Many have lost or at risk of losing their income and livelihoods, the Global mental health report added.

And frequent misinformation and rumors about the pandemic and deep uncertainty about how long it will last are making people feel anxious and hopeless about the future. The report outlined action points for policy-makers to aim “to reduce immense suffering among hundreds of millions of people and mitigate long-term social and economic costs to society”.