COVID-19 and Mental Health
Normalizing Mental Health Disorder in the time of the pandemic
“Sometimes to ask for help is the bravest thing one can do. So ask, talk, question. And try to understand. If you cannot, try harder.” — Anonymous
“You are required to leave for home from campus by 6 pm on Friday 20th March”, I read from my laptop screen. It was the evening of 18th March when all of us received the mail by the Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University. We had only two days to absorb the place, which we started calling home and say good-byes to people, who became family. It was so abrupt that half of us were in denial. We were not alone. The whole nation was about to face a new reality. Three days later, India declares COVID-19 outbreak as pandemic and the country goes under national lockdown.
Within a span of a few days, our realities changed. Going out is no longer an option. Laptops and the internet become our new best friend. Every news channel mostly broadcast about the pandemic. #QuarantineLife is trending on social media. Suddenly people realize the importance of house helps. Work from home and Online classes become the norm. The macro-level changes are visible with declining pollution levels and remote working turning mainstream on one hand and economic setbacks and rising unemployment on the other hand. There is, however, one topic which people usually talk in hushed voices — Mental Health.
Human beings are social animals. The current lockdown, however, has changed our public and private lives beyond recognition. The constant state of restlessness and uncertainty is taking its toll on people’s mental health. According to an article by Moya Sarner, from social isolation to working on the front line, the mental health challenges of the pandemic are wide-reaching. She further adds that whatever our situation, it’s time to look at what we can all do to limit the toll on our mental well-being. Rumour, speculation and fake news are fueling anxiety. According to a BBC Report, Psychiatrists and Psychologists are calling for urgent research as the pandemic could have profound effects on people’s mental health. While the West is comparatively open about talking about Mental Health, Indian population still considers the topic a taboo. No wonder that the collective increase in the mental stress of the people deserves significant attention, especially in a country like India. According to India’s National Mental Health Survey, 2015–16, 10.6 percent of India’s 1.3 billion population suffers from mental health disorders. The report notes that 80 percent of such patients are not under medical treatment. This could be due to insufficient availability of mental health services, as well as the stigma associated with mental health disorders
Given the gravity of the situation we are in, anxiety is a natural response to it. However, a certain number of people are at risk of depression and in the worse case, suicide due to the ongoing rise in anxiety and depression. The lockdown and its effects on the economy, employment and financial security of people especially from the poorer background have further aggravated the situation. Among the population, older adults with underlying health issues, women and children as victims of domestic violence, frontline health-care workers, people on low incomes, homeless and refugees are experiencing anxiety much more than the general population. While the general population can slowly adjust to the new reality, these vulnerable groups are finding it difficult to cope with the new normal. In the absence of a proper channel to safeguard their mental health, there is a risk of an increase in the rate of suicides among them. In a paper by the Academy of Medical Sciences, During the SARS epidemic of 2003, there was a 30% increase in suicide in the over-65s.
In these tough times, it becomes our responsibility as concerned citizens to reach out to anyone who needs help and attention. On the other hand, it’s a golden opportunity for the entrepreneurs and innovators to use their minds and solve this problem for a noble cause. The solution can lie in innovative methods to create awareness about mental health. Alternatively, a solution can be as simple as providing a platform for people to express their anxiety. Sometimes, all it takes is to find someone to just listen. Half of the anxiety issues can be solved by just listening. Innovators and Entrepreneurs can tap into the arena and create a substantial difference.
Another possible area of solution could be dealing with the widespread fake news and hoax which not only increases the anxiety but also provides us with false information. Dealing with the fake news is another problem statement which the entrepreneurs and innovators can deal with. For instance, an app or website can be developed which gives a credibility index to the news by doing fact-checks. Or it could be something as simple as videos for educating people on how to find fake news. The arena of solutions is immense; it simply depends on how much farther the innovators are willing to push themselves.
Another problem statement which could be tackled by the entrepreneurs and innovators in providing the logistics for delivery of medicines. In these tough times, the treatment of the patients who have been tested positive with the virus becomes paramount and everything else comes secondary in the priority list. While the doctors may not be available for personalized consultancy for every patient, at least the medicines can be made available to them. However, the current lockdown has impacted even that as well. Given that it’s almost impossible for people, especially from rural areas, to obtain a pass for travel, it becomes important that they are provided with proper medication. Unfortunately, such medications can’t be sold over the counter and need a doctor’s prescription. That brings a huge opportunity for an innovator to use technology to bridge the gap.
Dealing with the people who are anxious is still easy because you know what the issue is. But how would you deal with the people who are still in the denial mode? Their carelessness and ignorance about the whole situation can bring the already fragile healthcare system of our country crashing down. This could pose another problem statement which the innovators and entrepreneurs could deal with. Although it doesn’t come under the ambit of mental health, it certainly is connected to the human mentality which one way or the other has to be dealt with. The obvious possible solutions could be creating awareness among the people through various mediums, while innovative solutions may include using wit and humour to drive the point home.
According to me, the most important aspect for an innovator or entrepreneur to succeed in these tough times is to empathise with people. These are uncertain times, and sometimes, all it requires is a little bit of kindness. Even to properly understand the problems faced by the people, one needs to immerse himself or herself into the shoes of the people. The power of empathy is immense and the pandemic may probably teach us to be empathetic to people.
On a concluding note, I just wanted to say that even though these are highly volatile and uncertain times, ‘This too shall pass’. Let us be strong and stand with each other in these tough times.
“Mental Health is not a destination but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going”. — Anonymous
With twenty-four years of wisdom gained more through accidents than conventional means, add to it his love for painting and dancing, sprinkle the fact that he’s totally clueless about his future, finally, top it with his self-confession of being short-tempered yet positive, punctual and passionate, you get Swapnil Bagchi.
Swapnil is currently a fellow at Ashoka University’s flagship Young India Fellowship. He had completed his undergrad in Metallurgical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Trichy and had worked in Axis Bank and ZS Associates.
