With the anxiety and stressful situations resulting from the pandemic, more people needed mental health services. However, the pandemic has also taken a toll on this field. This was further affirmed by the announcement made by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday that more than 90 percent of countries experienced a disruption in mental health services.

WHO conducted a survey of countries worldwide and found that 93 percent of countries revealed that there was either disruption or a complete halt in people's access to mental health services. The survey also indicated that more than 60 percent saw a disruption of mental health services for the vulnerable sections of society, which included children. For adolescents, the survey saw 72 percent, for older adults, there was a 70 percent, and 61 percent for women who required postnatal or even antenatal services.

The worldwide organisation said that 70 percent of countries made the necessary adjustments and adopted telemedicine, as a substitute for in-person services. However, it still underscored that there is a disparity in this type of intervention. Sad to say, only less than 50 percent of low-income countries adopted telemedicine. On the other hand, there was more than 80 percent of high-income countries that embraced this method.

As per the WHO, before the pandemic, countries were only allocating a small portion of their health budget on mental health services. This small allocation got countries struggling in dealing with the mental health needs of the population. With the ongoing pandemic, giving due attention to mental health has become more important.

Today, in addition to the already existing mental health problems, people have to deal with isolation, fear, loss of income, and bereavement. These have been added to those that already bombarded many people prior to the pandemic. Hence, many experienced an increase in drug and alcohol use, as well as anxiety and insomnia.

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Many countries experienced disruption in mental health service. Photo: Pixabay

WHO noted that the virus could lead to mental and neurological complications, including agitation, stroke, and delirium. With the ongoing pandemic, there will be greater demand for mental health programs. The organisation recommends countries to monitor disruptions and changes in their mental health services so that they are be able to answer them in the best way possible.