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With the coronavirus pandemic nonetheless accelerating, impacting lives and livelihoods and inflicting concern and anxiousness amongst individuals, the World Health Organization on Thursday referred to as upon countries in the South-East Asia Region to pay a better consideration to mental well being and suicide prevention.
Stigma associated to COVID-19 an infection may additionally lead to feeling of isolation and despair, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, stated.
She stated one other precipitating issue impacting the mental well being amid COVID-19 could possibly be home violence, which is reported to have elevated throughout the lockdowns imposed by virtually all countries in the region to sluggish the unfold of the virus.
“Hitting lives and livelihoods, the pandemic is causing fear, anxiety, depression and stress among people. Social distancing, isolation and coping with perpetually evolving and changing information about the virus has both triggered and aggravated existing and pre-existing mental health conditions which need urgent attention,” Singh stated.
Early identification of mental well being situations, recognition of suicidal behaviours and acceptable administration by a multi-sectoral method is vital, at the same time as we proceed to focus on arresting the additional unfold of the pandemic, she underlined.
Singh stated suicide claims virtually 8,00,000 lives yearly globally and is the main reason behind demise amongst younger individuals aged 15-29 years. Evidence reveals that for every grownup who dies of suicide, there are greater than 20 others trying suicide, the WHO Regional Director stated.
The WHO South-East Asia Region accounts for 39 per cent of worldwide suicide mortality, she stated. “Though preventable, suicide is a serious public health problem. Survivors of suicide attempts and their family often face stigma and discrimination in many forms. The impact of suicide on families, friends and communities is devastating and far-reaching,”
Singh noted. In these challenging times, we must work towards providing a comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social-care services in community-based settings, as outlined in the WHO South-East Asia Region’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, she said.
As individual vulnerabilities and socio-cultural factors differ between and within populations, the Regional Suicide Prevention Strategy guides countries on strategising and planning for suicide prevention through a multi-sectoral public health approach, she added.
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