ICMR, state govt take up survey to assess mental health of Covid-infected people

Kolkata: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) along with the state government has undertaken a survey on Covid-infected patients across Bengal to assess their mental health.

The survey will be conducted on at least 2,500 people, the report of which is expected to be published in October this year.

The study has been initiated after it was found that many of the Covid-infected patients are developing psychological issues even after they recover from ailments. Covid has had an adverse impact on the mental health of people during the first and second wave of Covid.

The Centre for Aging and Mental Health (Salt Lake) under the ICMR has identified the spots where the survey will be carried out. Apart from the identified areas both in the city and rural areas, some hospitals have also been roped in where the survey will be conducted.

At the initial level, the survey will be done at the ESI Hospital in the city and also at Tangra area. Memari in East Burdwan has also been identified as a spot where the survey will be carried out.

"Pandemic always has an adverse impact on the mental health of the people. Before Covid, people had witnessed a pandemic around 100 years ago. Many people are suffering from mental issues in the post-Covid scenario. We require a community-based survey just to know how the situation in the state is as far as mental health is concerned," city based psychologist Abhishek Hansa said.

According to experts, people are facing emotional issues like fear, mood swings, sadness, depression, anxiety and fear of the unknown, frustration. Biological impact was seen on bio-drives like sleep, appetite and sexual functioning. A strong surge in forgetfulness, poor memory, lack of concentration and heightened alertness was also witnessed, especially amidst the students.

More and more people agreed having faced loss in their cool easily, emotional outbursts, argumentativeness and even loneliness.

"Lockdown showed us that being isolated and lonely can have strong detrimental effects on our psyche. Lack of movement and physical restriction also contributed to frustration. Many have lost economic stability while many others have lost their dear ones," said Dr G Mukherjee, an expert in the field.

Giving an emphasis on the mental health of people in the post-Covid scenario, the state Health department is set to strengthen the infrastructure to care for patients with mental health issues. A mental health review board will be formed in every district.

The State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), which is the nodal agency to care for mental health care issues, has already held meetings with the health officials and other stakeholders from various private agencies and NGOs to boost infrastructure.