Our responsibilities (psychosocial considerations) during the COVID-19 outbreak
This article aims to communicate the most relevant messages from WHO to the community to help them cope with the current pandemic. We cordially encourage you to read these critical details and share them with your loved ones in order to protect our community from the COVID Pandemic.
Depression is one of the most common causes of disability among people in modern countries. Experiencing epidemics or natural disasters raises populations’ long-term levels of depression and may boost future suicide rates. Anxiety, stress, and depression are predicted by having more upsetting occurrences in life and finding it harder to cope with them. The globe is currently dealing with a serious crisis brought on by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 viruses, which has contributed significantly to rising levels of depression among the population in many countries. The status of the people in some nations that have been severely hit by the pandemic and have limited capacity to deal, as is the case in many countries in all corners of the world, is very concerning. Studying the causes of depression in susceptible environments can be of tremendous strategic significance in helping to alleviate and prevent this illness now and in the future, especially in light of the present epidemic problem.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and public health authorities worldwide are working to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the community is experiencing stress as a result of the current situation. The WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use developed the considerations presented in this document (Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak) as a series of messages that can be used in communications to support mental and psychosocial well-being in different target groups during the outbreak.
Messages addressed to the general community by the WHO
This article aims to communicate the most relevant messages from WHO to the community to help them cope with the current pandemic. Actually, we hope that this information will enable us to improve our general knowledge and attitude in order to better grasp the present pandemic scenario and respond appropriately to protect ourselves and others. As a result, we cordially encourage you to read these critical details and share them with your loved ones in order to protect our community from the COVID pandemic.
1. COVID-19 has and will continue to affect people from a wide range of countries and locales. Do not associate COVID-19 with any particular ethnicity or nationality when referring to people who have the disease. Empathize with all people who are impacted, in and outside of your country. COVID-19 victims have done nothing wrong, and they are deserving of our sympathy, compassion, and goodwill.
2. People with the condition should not be referred to as “COVID-19 cases,” “victims,” “COVID-19 families,” or “the diseased.” They are “people who have COVID-19,” “people who are being treated for COVID-19,” or “people who are recovering from COVID-19,” and their lives will go on with their jobs, families, and loved ones when they recover from COVID-19. To reduce stigma, it’s critical to distinguish a person from having a COVID-19-defined identity.
3. Reduce the amount of time you spend watching, reading or hearing news about COVID-19 that makes you feel nervous or distressed; instead, seek information exclusively from reliable sources and use it to make real measures to protect yourself and your loved ones. Look for information updates once or twice a day at particular times. Anyone can be alarmed by the rapid and near-constant flood of news headlines concerning an outbreak. Instead of hearsay and falsehoods, get the facts. To assist you in discerning facts from myths, gather information from the WHO website and local health authority platforms at regular intervals. Fears can be reduced with the use of facts.
4. Protect oneself while also supporting others. Helping people in their time of need can be beneficial to both the recipient and the helper. Check on neighbours or persons in your community who may require assistance over the phone, for example. Working together as a community can assist in building solidarity in the face of COVID-19.
5. Find ways to promote the good and hopeful stories and photographs of local individuals who have been affected by COVID-19. Stories of those who have recovered or supported a loved one and are prepared to share their experiences, for example.
6. Honour the caretakers and healthcare personnel in your town who are helping patients with COVID-19. Recognize the important role they perform in saving lives and ensuring the safety of your loved ones.
This article will certainly refresh your thoughts on how to respond to the current pandemic crisis as an individual, a group, or a community. If you wish to assist your community in a fight the pandemic, please lend a hand.
Written by: Mahinda Herath (BSc in Agric. (Sp), MSC in Agricu, PhD in Community Development (Reading), Dip. in Psychology)
Reference
Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. J., Pantaleón, Y., Dios, I., & Falla, D. (2020). Fear of COVID-19, stress, and anxiety in university undergraduate students: a predictive model for depression. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 3041.
WHO. (2020). Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak (Issue January).
