Alejandra Bermudez Farreras
Specifically for El Universal
Caracas.- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has established a high-level commission on mental health and Covid-19 that will develop guidelines and recommendations to reduce the suffering and mental health impact of the pandemic on the region’s population.
Information released in a communiqué by Carissa F. Etienne, director of PAHO, indicates that the commission will focus on five key areas: recovery from the pandemic and advancing mental health as a priority; the mental health needs of vulnerable populations; the integration of mental health into universal health care; Financing; and the promotion and prevention of mental illness.
“We must seize the opportunity that the pandemic is giving us to address long-standing weaknesses in mental health care and strengthen it for the future,” Etienne said.
He added that the high-level commission on mental health and Covid-19 will be chaired by Epsy Campbell Barr, vice president of Costa Rica, and co-chaired by Néstor Méndez, deputy director-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). It is also composed of leaders from healthcare organizations, civil society and academia, as well as individuals with direct experience in the field.
women most affected
Campbell Barr pointed out that “the mental health and well-being of millions, particularly women, have been seriously impacted by the pandemic, lockdowns, school closures, remote working and caring for family members.”
Barr called for an “urgent addressing of mental health” and “taking steps to prevent and respond to domestic violence, including mental health services for survivors.”
According to PAHO, the Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating effects, many of which are expected to be long-term. A scientific dossier published by WHO highlighted that the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic.
Neurological or mental disorder
In the region, a PAHO analysis also suggested that a third of people who had Covid were diagnosed with a neurological or mental disorder, while another study conducted with support from the organization (The Covid-19 Health Care Workers Study, Heroes) showed that in 2020, between 14.7% and 22% of healthcare workers in the Region had symptoms suspected of being depressed.
Néstor Méndez, representative of the OAS, indicates that “a comprehensive plan of action for the recovery from Covid-19 is timely, relevant and urgent, it must include the prioritization of mental health with a human rights perspective and taking into account the specific situation of women” Additionally, he argued that this is “an opportunity to provoke a cultural shift that can move us away from stigma and into more inclusive and open conversations to rebuild better mental health systems.”
“Countries in the Americas have made important efforts to meet growing mental health needs during the pandemic. However, the low priority given to the issue in the past, as well as insufficient and poorly trained human and financial resources, have hampered the ability to respond appropriately.
The commissioners will produce a report with key evidence-based recommendations for improving mental health in America and transforming mental health systems and services in the post-Covid-19 pandemic. The report is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2022.
USM student