Raising awareness of the mental health consequences of the COVID- 19 pandemic
Raising awareness of the mental health consequences of the COVID- 19 pandemic
Why this petition matters
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on almost every aspect of our lives. Since the advent of this pandemic, myriad measures have been taken by governments and institutions to stop the spread of COVID-19. These measures include but are not limited to work from home measures, social distancing, limiting non-essential travel, and staying at home as much as possible. While all these steps are crucial in helping mitigate the spread of COVID-19, lost in the midst of all these measures are conversations about the toll this pandemic has taken over our mental well-being. The below-cited studies reveal the grim reality that 50% of the Canadian population has been experiencing some form of mental health challenges since the implementation of social distancing protocols. Other studies reveal that Canadians are reporting overall increased stress and anxiety, and concerns about their mental health. They are feeling the isolation effects of physical distancing, and some are turning to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Certain groups – particularly younger Canadians and those with kids at home – appear to be especially vulnerable to the mental health and addiction challenges brought on by COVID-19.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200527/dq200527b-eng.htm
https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/covid-continues-take-heavy-toll-canadians-mental-health
Many of us are dealing with signs of depression, anxiety, and loneliness on a daily basis. Young children and teenagers, as discussed above. being away from school, friends and colleagues are experiencing stress and social isolation on a daily basis. Similarly, being more at risk to the COVID-19 outbreak, the elderly population is also encountering extreme distress and anxiety. Understanding the mental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are as important as understanding its clinical features. Public awareness campaigns are highly crucial in drawing our attention towards this subject matter. As family members, friends and colleagues, we need to demand more public attention to the mental health implications of this pandemic so that we can start having conversations about how we can help and support each other during these unprecedented times. Public awareness of mental health challenges faced by the pandemic is imperative in not only reducing the overall stigma that has always been associated with issues related to mental health but can also assist in early intervention and fast recovery of our loved ones facing these challenges. Below are some useful resources that highlight effective ways of addressing and coping with some of these mental health challenges:
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19
https://psychiatry.ucsf.edu/copingresources/covid19
All Educators and Doctors have to stand in this together and make sure we are helping people around with this issue. This is an important issue to be addressed and sometimes people need someone to talk to to get their stress out. Mental health also affects your physical health so a person not doing well mentally will not be fit physically too. To talk about Mental Health is really important as when we Raise Awareness only then can we work on the solutions to overcome it.
