Medical experts have been sounding the alarm for over a year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently brought it up again: the global pandemic caused by Covid-19 will have a “long-term and far-reaching” impact on people’s mental health.
This Thursday July 22, 2021, when meeting in Athens, WHO warned about issues caused by the pandemic. “From anxieties around virus transmission, to the psychological impact of lockdowns and self-isolation, to the effects of unemployment, financial worries and social exclusion, to barriers to accessing in-person care, everyone is affected in one way or another”, the organization explains in a release.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged public authorities from all over the world to take action now to safe their citizens’ health. “We are talking about a main ingredient of health which demands actions now. […] We must speak frankly about the stigma that accompanies mental health”, he said. European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas support the initiative saying “there is no excuse for being left behind”.
How has the virus been able to affect people’s mental health this much? In addition to the fear of the disease or the effects of coronavirus, WHO indicates “the stress brought about by socioeconomic inequalities and the impacts of quarantine, lockdown and school/work closures has also had a huge impact”.
Over four million deaths, bankrupted companies, major income loss, households that moved to poverty… Crisis pile up and jeopardize the future of the world population. “Mental health and well-being should be seen as fundamental human rights”, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge says so the State can tackle the issue.
WHO delivers a few leads to solve the mental health-related crisis: countries must reinforce their mental health units, improve access to care via digital, increase psychological support units in schools and work places…
In France, the government has launched a reimbursed therapy session service for children, on some conditions. As for adults, they are still waiting for the reimbursement of therapy sessions promised by the public authorities during the health crisis.
