DEPRESSION CATCHING UPON ON PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES DUE TO COVID.
Nearly 65 per cent suffering from anxiety over financial issues, finds study conducted in 5 Big state hospitals by UNICEF and hospital for mental health.
As is well known now, Coronavirus leaves you sapped of energy, traumatised and mentally drained. On top of this, if you have to put up with the loss of a family member or have to deal with financial issues, then even the toughest of minds get close to breaking point. Numerous people have suffered Covid and are available out on the opposite side alive. But not without mental scars and showing signs of depression, anxiety and memory loss etc.
A survey of Covid-19 patients in five government hospitals in the state has thrown up alarming facts about the extent of the mental toll it has taken. The survey, conducted by UNICEF and Hospital for Mental Health, found that as many as 65 per cent of recovered patients interviewed were suffering from severe depression and anxiety because of financial worries, and nearly 80 per cent of them experienced depression due to the death of a dear one. All these people need psychological support.
The study was done in Ahmedabad Civil hospital, Sola Civil, SVP hospital and GMERS hospitals in Vadodara and Surat.
According to the findings, nearly 58 per cent of surveyed individuals had moderate depression and almost 84 per cent had mild depression. At a slightly lower level, 51-58 per cent of patients had anxiety and 58 per cent had stress. In all, over 50 per cent of Covid patients showed symptoms of mental issues.
Superintendent of the hospital for mental health Dr Ajay Chauhan said that the study was done on 1,250 patients in the five state hospitals. After diagnosis, many got the required medical attention. “Before treating them, we talked to them about their problems and assessed their mental condition. A lot of counselling was done in many sessions which brought good results – 67 per cent of people responded to treatment and showed an improvement.”
The survey was administered by a team of doctors consisting of Dr Minaxi Parikh of Civil hospital, Dr Nimesh Parekh of SVP hospital and Dr Prakash Mehta of Sola Civil.
Consulting psychiatrist Dr Dipti Bhatt of the hospital said that the highest number of cases, 22 per cent of those surveyed, were from Ahmedabad, followed by Surat with 14 per cent. According to Dr Bhatt, “Covid-19 patients and their relatives do need counselling due to the stressful situation they need skilled. It has been a very rough time for them and many have faced the worst crisis of their life in this period. Depression and anxiety cases have increased manifold.” Dr Chauhan said people suffering from Covid-19 -related trauma are often treated by counselling. The hospital does online counselling also.
CASES STUDIED
Sick herself, she saw her husband pass away
A 50-year-old lady admitted to SVP hospital had severe depression and anxiety. She had lost her husband and father-in-law to Covid-19 even as she and her mother-in-law remained admitted in the hospital. She went into depression due to the loss of family members. She was given counselling sessions and later also counselled online for 3 months. Her treatment is on.
MOTHER LOSES SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
A 64-year-old female lost her son and daughter-in-law while she was herself admitted to a hospital for Coronavirus during the second wave. She was informed about the death just before she was to be discharged from the hospital. The mental stress affected her badly and she was admitted again. She is undergoing counselling sessions, which have helped her to deal with the loss.
Source
https://ahmedabadmirror.com/why-empathy-is-the-need-of-the-hour/81804355.html