LONDON: The experts have predicted a profound impact on people’s mental well-being globally due to COVID-19 pandemic.
A survey of the British public showed that most people questioned had experienced depression and fear of becoming mentally unwell since the pandemic struck as billions struggle to cope with isolated living and anxiety spikes.
The lead author of Uppsala University’s department of psychology, Emily Holmes said, “We are all dealing with unprecedented uncertainty and major changes to the way we live our lives as a result of coronavirus.”
She further said, “Our surveys show these changes are already having a considerable impact on our mental health.” The authors also called for real-time monitoring of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide across the world.
Rory O’Connor, professor of health psychology at the University of Glasgow said, “The scale of this problem is too serious to ignore, both in terms of every human life that may be affected, and in terms of the wider impact on society.”
The research into the mental health impact of previous disease outbreaks, such as the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, showed a clear increase in suicide rates and the number of health care workers who experience emotional distress.
But the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic is unusual, with billions of people forced to isolate at home and no end in sight even after social distancing measures are eased.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 2 million globally today. On the other side, the global death toll crossed 134,000, while more than 500,000 have recovered from the deadly disease.
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