Rise in mental illness cases due to pandemic
   Date :21-Jun-2020

Coronavirus outbreak _1&n
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Bhilai,
 
The Novel Coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown led to a surge in mental health illness, according to psychiatrists. Even the Government is paying attention to this aspect and it’s evident with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issuing guidelines to save people from mental illness. According to Dr Pramod Gupta, Psychiatrist, in urban areas people especially the one already dealing with depression have started complaining of anxiety and depression.
 
For some it’s the fear of contracting and spreading the virus that gives rise to their anxiety, for others, it is the uncertainty of job and financial condition. Elaborating on this point and giving examples, Dr Gupta told that, the most common problem patients are complaining of is that they are depressed and anxious. Even if they have a minor cough, they get depressed and anxious that they could have contracted COVID-19 as well as transferred the virus to others.
 
They keep ruminating on a single thought. They keep thinking about what will happen and how they can be saved. For people with anxiety and panic situations of dryness in mouth, palpitations and nausea is observed. According to Dr MD Sikdar, psychiatrist most patients with mental health issues face a lack of social connectivity due to the ongoing lockdown. Elaborating on the same, Dr Sikdar said that, “I am personally calling up my patients for their follow up consultations over phone.
 
A major challenge for those who have been already diagnosed is that they face a relapse in their condition due to the absence of social connectivity and unavailability of medicines”, he added. Patients with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are suffering the most. A majority of patients are now unable to visit the hospital due to the unavailability of transport. With this, one perceive that OPDs would see an upsurge in mental health issues once the lockdown is over, stated Dr Prashant Tiwari, psychiatrist.