The COVID-19 pandemic has caused psychological stress patterns such as fear of falling ill or dying from the disease. There is also the fear of being powerless to protect oneself and loved ones, fear of being quarantined, fear of being separated from loved ones and refusal to care for vulnerable individuals due to fear of infection, feelings of helplessness, boredom, loneliness and depression.
When we talk about the infected here, we are referring to those affected with COVID-19 and/or Mental health challenges for example in Cameroon or in Douala the people infected with Covid-19 have been quarantine from their families and other people. The anxiety, loneliness, depression, fear of dying and frustration of these many as they are aware of their limited chances of survival greatly influences their psychological wellness leading to mental health issues for some of them.
The affected would include those families with a member who has tested positive for Covid-19. The family is subjected to further investigation to ascertain if any other member is equally infected, and later on these families are pushed away by their own community for fear of being contaminated. This happens frequently in Cameroon and also around the rest of the world.
Stigmatization towards working with COVID-19 patients greatly affects the infected people and leads to serious mental challenges. In Cameroon, Africa, or other parts of the world, this is the main challenge which the infected people experience. Other such challenges includes; reduced capacity to use social support due to physical distancing and stigma, insufficient capacity to practice self-care, insufficient knowledge about the long-term exposure to individuals infected with COVID-19 and fear that they could contaminate their loved ones. More on the causes of COVID-19 and its effects on mental health can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic.
Everyone, infected or not has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to social distancing, fear of being socially excluded, loneliness, anxiety, depression and worry affects everyone in one way or the other. For example, parents worry about children being at home alone (during school lock downs etc.) while they have to be at work. Doctors and nurses may contract mental health issues from the physical and psychological load they have to carry during this pandemic period. Children have to stay at home for fear of going out and ending up infected while praying that their parents don’t get infected too; and many more worries and frustration that other people have.
More about the influence of Covid-19 on the mental health of the affected and infected at “The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use | The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation” (https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/)
We at the are here to offer psycho-therapeutic support to those who have mental health challenges in general and as a result of their infection or affection by the Covid-19 disease.
Do you or anyone know who is infected or affected and fears to ask for help, support and guidance ? Do not hesitate to contact us through any of the links below.
Kindly email us at hope@hope4abusedbattered.com
Visit our website www.hope4abusedbattered.com
Give us a call/WhatsApp # +237672576011
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