25 per cent rise in psychological problems in 1st Covid 12 months, says WHO

Express News Service

BENGALURU:  Depression and anxiousness went up by greater than 25 per cent globally within the first 12 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, says WHO within the newest psychological well being report launched on Friday. In its largest assessment of worldwide psychological well being because the flip of the century, the World Health Organization termed the Covid-19 pandemic as “one of the biggest global crises in generations that has had severe and far-reaching repercussions for health systems, economies and societies”.

“Depression and anxiety went up by more than 25 per cent in the first year of the pandemic alone. Young people, women and people already suffering mental health issues were harder hit by the pandemic and the restrictions that followed,” the report says.

The world well being physique has referred to as upon all nations to destigmatise and make investments extra in psychological well being, stating that the pandemic had prompted a “sharp rise in issues across the world”. The findings are an eye-opener for all stakeholders with the world physique emphasising that there isn’t a well being with out psychological well being. 

“Nearly a billion people or one in 8 people worldwide, were living with mental health problems in 2019. Those living in conflict zones were affected even more, with one in five suffering from mental health issues. These included 14 per cent of the world’s adolescents.  Suicide accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths and 58 per cent of suicides occurred before age 50,” the report says. 

It additional says childhood sexual abuse and bullying victimisation are main causes of despair. “Social and economic inequalities, public health emergencies, war, and the climate crisis are among the global, structural threats to mental health.”

While the notice on psychological well being has elevated, authorities spending has not. “Only 2 per cent of national health budgets and less than 1 per cent of all international health aid goes to mental health,” the report says.

Mark van Ommeren of the WHO’s psychological well being unit says curiosity in psychological well being proper now could be at an all-time excessive. “But the investment in mental health has not gone up. This report gives countries information on how to invest their mental health money better.” The report has given country-specific case research on typical/non-conventional and neighborhood interventions in psychological well being points.

Emphasising that ‘no health without mental health’
The world well being physique has referred to as on all nations to destigmatise and make investments extra in psychological well being.  The findings are an eye-opener for all stakeholders with the world physique emphasising that there isn’t a well being with out psychological well being