Covid-19, infections take toll on mental health

Surat: Ninety one-year-old Ramanbhai (name changed) cried inconsolably when resident doctors from the department of psychiatry at SMIMER Hospital in Surat were interviewing him during a routine mental health screening in the Covid-19 ward.
He felt betrayed by his own family, who were not willing to take him back home from the hospital even though he had fully recovered from the infection. They said they were worried that Ramanbhai may transmit the virus to other family members. It was only after the doctors intervened, that Ramanbhai’s family took him home.
“Surprisingly, Ramanbhai shared cordial relations with his family members before he tested positive. Appropriate interventions helped discharge of the patient from the hospital and reunion with the family. A follow-up call from the hospital was made after a month to assure his well-being,” said Dr Parag Shah, professor and head, psychiatric department, SMIMER Hospital.
“We conducted Mental Health Screening of more than 2,300 Covid-19 patients within 24 hours of their admission in Covid-19 wards. Around 5% of them were found to have depression and 0.5% had suicidal thoughts. All of them were given psychological care,” added Dr Shah.
Ramanbhai’s case is just an example of how the Covid-19 pandemic has had psychological impact on people leading to depression and suicidal tendencies.
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) run SMIMER attended to around 250 suicide attempt patients over the last three months. The figure during the same period last year was 210. Which is an increase of 19%.
“The pandemic has a profound psychological and social impact on people. The psychological effect will probably persist for months and years to come. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress and economic difficulties may lead to depression, anxiety, substance use and other psychiatric disorders,” Dr Shah told TOI.
“Normal functions of the brain are known to be affected for months after many viral infections, leading to symptoms of depression and suicide,” he added “Reports have also started coming from various parts of India about increasing suicide incidences associated with Covid-19 related issues both social and economic. We have observed rise in suicide cases which are linked to Covid-19. Most common factors are job loss, income loss, interpersonal conflict or quarrels,” said Dr Shah.