The impact of COVID-19 on mental health cannot be made light of.pdf

The impact of COVID-19 on
mental health cannot be
made light of
16 June 2022
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One of the biggest global crises in generations, the COVID-19 pandemic has had severe
and far-reaching repercussions for health systems, economies and societies. Countless
people have died, or lost their livelihoods. Families and communities have been strained
and separated. Children and young people have missed out on learning and socializing.
Businesses have gone bankrupt. Millions people have fallen below the poverty line.

As people grapple with these health, social and economic impacts, mental health has been
widely affected. Plenty of us became more anxious; but for some COVID-19 has sparked
or amplified much more serious mental health problems. A great number of people have
reported psychological distress and symptoms of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic
stress. And there have been worrying signs of more widespread suicidal thoughts and
behaviours, including among health care workers.
Some groups of people have been affected much more than others. Faced with extended
school and university closures young people have been left vulnerable to social isolation
and disconnectedness which can fuel feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and loneliness and
lead to affective and behavioural problems. For some children and adolescents being