Virus exacts its toll not only in lives but in the mind

Experiencing mental health difficulties, Briton Pip Rudge, 23, has been seeking treatment for anxiety and depression exacerbated by isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I just felt like hopeless," she said. "I felt like there was nothing in the future that I was going to be able to accomplish. I felt completely lost and alone."

Zhu Yuqi in Beijing said she sometimes felt "abandoned by the whole world" as she worked from home in February and March, when many companies in China were asking employees to work remotely in line with the country's lockdown.

"It felt like I was the only human being on Earth," Zhu said. "I had no one to share my happiness and sorrow. I video-chatted with my parents every day, but I still felt I was about to fall into depression."

While lockdowns and social distance helped curb the spread of the coronavirus, the isolation has also pushed many people's mental health to the brink.

In a survey conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, more than half of 3,500 respondents from seven countries said the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively affected their mental health.

Strong stigma

Strong stigma associated with COVID-19 affects those who have contracted the virus and their families, and has serious consequences for those already marginalized because they live with mental health concerns, the survey's authors said.

Rudge said she was struggling with self-harm while staying at home to avoid contracting the virus.

Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the pandemic has exacerbated the psychological distress of millions of people already living through conflicts and disasters.

"Lockdown restrictions, a loss of social interaction and economic pressures are all impacting people's mental health and access to care. Mental health is just as important as physical health, especially in crisis situations, when mental health needs are especially critical," Mardini said.

The committee's report also highlighted the urgent mental health needs of those who have been on the frontline of the pandemic, from medical staff, to volunteers, community workers, social workers, those who have to collect the bodies of the dead, community leaders and many others.

Nearly three in four respondents said front-line health workers and first responders have a greater need for mental health support than the average person.

Those groups are often directly exposed to COVID-19, work long hours and are invariably subject to stressful events and stigma when supporting disaster-affected communities, and need access to support and care to ensure they can continue to care appropriately for others, it said.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Red Cross said, it has experienced increasing demand for support from front line responders worldwide, such as medical staff, volunteers, teachers, social workers and many others who continue striving to support others.

Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, called for urgent and increased funding for mental health and psychosocial support within humanitarian responses as such help could have "a lifesaving and priceless impact" at a relatively low cost.