Pandemic will have “long-term” impact on mental health warns WHO



Another evil to fight, and quickly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the world since 2020 will have a “long-term and far-reaching impact” on people’s mental health. “From anxiety linked to the transmission of the virus, to the psychological impact of confinements and self-isolation, to the consequences linked to unemployment, financial difficulties and social exclusion, (…), everyone is affected in one way or another, “warns the WHO, in a statement, on the occasion of a meeting in Athens of ministers and health officials.

The WHO believes that “it is not just the contamination, or the fear of being contaminated that has affected the mental health of the population”. But “the stress caused by socio-economic inequalities and the effects of quarantine, confinement, the closure of schools and workplaces have had enormous consequences,” underlines the WHO.

Lift the taboo around mental illness

“We need to speak openly about the stigma that comes with mental health. We are talking about a key component of our health. It requires action now “from governments,” urged Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the opening in Athens of a two-day forum of ministers from the WHO Europe region, which includes 53 countries.

“The pandemic shook the world. More than four million lives have been lost around the world, income has been destroyed, families and communities have been separated, businesses have been bankrupted… ”, recalls the director of WHO in Europe, Dr Hans Kluge. “Mental health and well-being must be seen as fundamental human rights,” he continues, calling on states to rethink access to healthcare.

Among the recommendations of the WHO are the strengthening of mental health services in general, the improvement of access to care via digital technology, the increase of psychological support services in schools, universities, on site. work and for people working on the front lines in the fight against Covid-19.



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