Every year on this day; the 10th of October, the World Health Organization sets it aside as a day to create awareness about Mental Health issues and its ramifications for people and society all around the world and also to mobilize efforts in support of solving these mental health issues.
Every year comes with its own theme and the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day celebration is; “Mental Health for all” and I think it’s obvious why they have picked this theme to mark this year’s celebration considering the Corona Virus infection that has plagued the entire globe for the past 8-9 months. It is therefore not out of place to invite everyone to sit back and reflect on their mental health state to ensure it has not deteriorated or better still to detect early warning signs so that adequate next steps can be taken on time.
This year’s World Mental Health Day comes at a time when people’s lives have been significantly impacted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has brought with it so many challenges for practically everyone in the world:
For healthcare workers who are right in the middle of this very difficult situation, working continuously under pressure with limited protective gear and with the constant fear of contracting the disease themselves and spreading it to their loved ones.
For students all over the world who are learning to take classes virtually from home with little or no contact with friends and teachers and who have also become anxious about what the future holds for them.
For workers whose work culture has significantly changed and who are also working consistently under the pressure of not losing their means of livelihood.
For the vast majority of poor people who have been caught up in this complex web of having to deal with their precarious economic and health conditions coupled with a global humanitarian health crisis with little or no protection from themselves and their families.
For the millions of people who were previously battling with mental health issues before the pandemic either mildly or considerably and have now been subjected to greater levels of social isolation and have not also received the care and treatment they usually would get considering the overutilization of existing health workers in response to the pandemic. Etc.
We can go on and on to talk about the economic impact of this pandemic, the emotional strain on friendships and relationships, and not even mentioning the grief of having to lose a loved one, a friend, a neighbor without being able to say goodbye.
In all of this, I think it is very appropriate for people all over the world to engage in deep reflections, revaluate and consider the need to seek mental health and psychosocial support for not just themselves but also for those around them.
Governments all over the world should also substantially increase Investments in mental health programs at the local, national and international levels in the coming months and years so as to encourage these kinds of retrospection and also encourage people to seek out the care and attention they may require.
Global health bodies like the WHO, USAID, Centre for Disease Control, etc. as well as other National and Local health bodies should embark on similar campaigns like this one being witnessed today in order to create awareness about some of the mental health-related issues and also provide guidance and advice for health workers, managers of health facilities, Parents and guardians, children, older adults, people in isolation and the general public on how best to look after our mental health as well as ways to identify and deal with mental health-related issues as soon as they crop up.
In summary, all hands should be on deck to make sure we fight not just the pandemic but also its attendant consequences on the lives and livelihoods of peoples and families all around the world, hence the reason why the goal of this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign is geared towards raising awareness about the impact of Covid-19 on our mental health as well as encourage increased investment within the mental health sector globally.