“A lot of people have gone through economic and financial stresses, some have lost jobs, some are concerned about their future and about their career, some have had loss of their loved ones, some of them had medical problems or going through medical problems right now,” Dr Samir Parikh, director, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, told IANS.
“Covid has led to a definite rise in mental health concerns. Factors like grief, loneliness, social isolation, significant depression, financial stress, job loss, marital / family discord, alcohol/ substance dependence, feelings of hopelessness/ loneliness and lack of meaning to one’s life, can all contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviour,” added Dr Sameer Malhotra, Director and Head, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.
A study published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems in December last year, showed a 67.7 per cent increase in online news media reports of attempted suicides and deaths by suicide.
There were online news media reports of 369 cases of suicides and attempted suicides during Covid lockdown vs 220 reports in 2019, revealed the study by the Indian Law Society, Pune.
Adults are struggling to achieve work-life balance, emotional burnout in efforts to coordinate and fulfil responsibilities, at times marital/ family discord, alcohol/ substance use. Elderly feel lonely being away from children due to travel restrictions. Due to physical comorbidities, they are not able to connect to friends and family in person.
So how can people come out of the condition?
Seek help when needed. Ensure support and help to people when they express suicidal thoughts and feelings of hopelessness. Guide and instill in them a sense of hope, optimism and positivity.
“There is an increased need to strengthen support systems. We should look at good social-economic support for people who are vulnerable. Organisations need to become very mental health friendly and support their employees. Focus should be made more on lifestyle and mental health outcomes,” Parikh said.
He also suggested the need for timely intervention, creating helplines in all languages to make it easier for people across the nation to reach out for support if necessary.
Source: IANS
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