COVID-19 put strain on mental health, says AIIMS Director

Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS Randeep Guleria has said that coronavirus pandemic lockdown and communicating through technology rather than physically is straining mental health of peopleThe remarks hold importance on the day the world is observing the Suicide Prevention Day According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau a total of 139123 suicides were reported in India in 2019 an increase of 34 per cent in comparison to 2018 According to the WHO we lose about 800000 people to suicide every yearDirector of All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS RandeepGuleria has said that coronavirus pandemic lockdown and communicating through technology rather than physically is straining mentalhealth of people pictwittercom8kTJwtk3wNmdash IANS Tweets ians_india September 10 2020Important aspect which has emerged both because of the pandemic lockdown and the whole issue of physical distancing and communicating through technology rather than physically is strain on mental health said Guleria while addressing AIIMSs National Grand RoundsHe added The mental health issues have also become something which have affected not only those who have had Covid19 but even sometimes the normal individuals who are sort of at homeHe said that students old people have now been confined to a small space and are communicating only through technology rather than physically So this has also caused a lot of mental health issuesPeople are experiencing increased anxiety fear frustration sadness and loneliness to a point that those feelings become constant and overwhelming or having urges to attempt suicide during this pandemic during the pandemic Existing mental health conditions including severe anxiety and major depression have also worsenedPreeti Singh Senior Consultant Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Paras Hospital in Gurugram said In lockdown we have seen 300 suicide cases in India and mostly the deceased were men They were badly hit by the pandemic because they are mostly the bread earners of the familyShe said that people suffering from mental health issues were going through terrible mood swings or anxiety disorders previously but the symptoms deteriorated during pandemic The economic and the psychological impact because of pandemic directly and during pandemic has been way beyond our imaginationsShweta Sharma Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Delhis Columbia Asia Hospital said the reason for this rise is that many working professionals mostly complain of irregular work hours stress of work combined with lack of personal space as spouses are working from homeMost of the mental health issue patients are between 25 and 40 of age and more men than women reported the tendency which indicates the growing level of anxiety and mental health problems in them she saidAbout half of them do not have any history of mental illness in the past We treat such patients with medicines counselling or talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy CBT added Shweta SharmaAccording to another doctor Shuchin Bajaj Founder and Director of Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Services in New Delhi people are getting severely affected by their surroundings helplessness to improve their situation and uncertainties of futureWe can also utilize this time to improve our relationships by conversing with your partner having date nights speaking about your dreams and worries Please do not feel upset or if you feel things are going out of your hands then do not hesitate to call your friends or free helpline numbers to speak with mental health counselors or doctors Bajaj addedKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever