THE pandemic is slowly subsiding but mental health problems among Filipinos are reportedly on the rise and perhaps may stay even longer compared to the infection. Some mental health issues like depression, anxiety, even suicide, were seen to increase globally, and some data mentioned that 20 percent of Covid-19 survivors experienced mental health issues within three months of the infection, most likely because of stress, the impact of lockdowns, and the fear of even their loved ones testing positive of the dreaded disease.
Even health care workers and frontliners suffered, basically from the idea that they contract the disease and pass it on to their family or loved ones.
The mental health impact of Covid-19
The University of the Philippines, in partnership with UP Manila NIH National Telehealth Center and in cooperation with UP Philippine General Hospital, again held its weekly “Stop Covid Deaths” webinar series, with the latest episode titled “The Rising Tide: Mental Health Outcomes of the Pandemic.”
Dr. Evangeline dela Fuente, who heads the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the UP College of Medicine, said the pandemic has taken a toll on the world, where it claimed many lives and upended global economies in many unprecedented ways. Many restrictions in mobility, on the other hand, affected physical movements and social interactions that are integral to the promotion and maintenance of mental health.
How did Covid-19 disrupt people’s lives? A US study said that the disease caused a decline in the number of steps most people took, from 10,000 to only 4,600, an increase of 25 to 30 minutes of sleep per night, socialization time declined by over half to less than 30 minutes, screen time doubled to over five hours a day, and increase in risk of clinical depression ranging from 46 percent to 61 percent, to as high as 90 percent. “Undoubtedly, the pandemic has really been stressful to all of us,” Dr. dela Fuente said.
She said that people who are chronically stressed can get chronic stress, which is dangerous, she said, a situation that may lead to high blood pressure, lower fertility, weakened immune system, an increase in heart or stomach problems. Healthcare workers were also affected by chronic stress that affected their quality of life and mental health. She cited a local study in 2020 that showed majority of health-care workers were affected psychologically, where 70.74 percent displayed anxiety symptoms, and 50.97 percent showed depressive symptoms.
“Many causes of anxiety among health-care workers, based on a study, are the fear of being infected, unknowingly infecting others, concerns for loved ones’ welfare, uncertainty about support, and dissatisfaction with health information.”
So what do we want to do now? Dr. dela Fuente pointed to becoming resilient, or essentially the ability to recover or adjust to misfortune or change, where the recommendation was “be like a bamboo; bend but don’t break.” “There are resilience trainings that can change the brain and enhance resilience.”
There should also be enough sleep to boost physical health, about seven to eight hours daily, for the body’s recovery and healing from daily stress, she said. Also needed is physical exercise to boost physical health, and always practice mindfulness or being attuned to the present and not dwell on the past.
Dr. dela Fuente also explained that part of being resilient is to be able to express how one feels. “If there is anything distressful, create a narrative in your mind and either write it down or better yet, share it with a trusted person. Plus, we can avoid being overwhelmed or carried away by our emotions if we have a good emotional regulation. Being thankful also enhances resilience, where expressing gratitude may have lasting effects and boost psychological well-being.”
She also had this sort of checklist to know when to ask for help: if coping becomes a struggle, if stress gets in the way of activities for several days, when drugs or alcohols are already misused, when there are thoughts of harming one’s self or others, and if already being treated but feeling new or worsening symptoms.
Addressing wellness of students
For Dr. Blesile Suzette Mantaring, Director of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) of UP Manila (UPM), the school came up with programs to help address the wellness of UP Manila students. Even before the pandemic, Dr. Mantaring said UP Manila already has its PsychoSocial Wellness Network (PSWN) that helps address the emotional needs of students.
“Prior to the pandemic, we already saw increasing mental health concerns. With the network, it helped widen the reach of mental health care. PSWN is a collaboration between seven to nine colleges in UPM to foster a healthy and responsive campus climate. There is a representative from each college, guidance counsellors from OSA, representatives from the student council, and one from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine.”
Dr. Mantaring also said they employ a Multi-tiered Public Health approach approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) where they promote mental health among students, prevent students at risk from developing mental health problems, plus interventions to treat mental illness.
At the start of an academic year, she said all students should have a yearly physical examination and mental health evaluation as a requirement before registration. There are also individual counseling services for students with mental health concerns delivered via platforms such as e-mail, the LiftUp counseling mobile app, through audio or video calls, or mobile services through calls or SMS.
The OSA also started an online mental health survey that started in 2020 to assess the emotional state and resilience of students using “DASS21” or the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress, plus the Brief Resilience Scale to measure the ability of students to bounce back and recover from stress. “Data gathered from these can be accessed by Student Relation Officers of each college.”
She said these programs were designed to address the well-being of students.“Surveys and online assessments will help our office to develop programs and mechanisms to meet all the health needs not only of students who have mental health concerns but all of our students,” Dr. Mantaring concluded.