CASES of people suffering from anxiety and depression have increased by up to 38 per cent in some clinics in Bahrain amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
More patients seeking help from mental health clinics in the country have been presenting symptoms of anxiety, depression and psychological distress related to the coronavirus outbreak.
This seems to be a global phenomenon as millions of people are isolating and distancing themselves as part of measures to combat the spread of the virus.
While some countries around the world are slowly reopening their economies, others are still in lockdown.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said a significant increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety in a number of countries has been recorded.
“A study in Ethiopia, in April 2020, reported a threefold increase in the prevalence of symptoms of depression compared with estimates from Ethiopia before the epidemic,” said the WHO.
“Specific population groups are at particular risk of Covid-related psychological distress, frontline health-care workers, faced with heavy workloads, life-or-death decisions, and risk of infection, are particularly affected.
“During the pandemic, in China, health-care workers have reported high rates of depression (50pc), anxiety (45pc), and insomnia (34pc).
“In Canada, 47pc of health-care workers have reported a need for psychological support.”
In Bahrain, leading child psychologist Mariam Al Ammadi told the GDN that not only have there been new patients but previous ones have also returned seeking support.
“Speaking personally from my own clinic our patients have gone up 38pc due to Covid-19,” said the founder of the Child Foundation Centre.
“The most common presenting symptoms are anxiety and depression; previous patients are also returning as they needed additional support during this time.
“We have also seen an increase is correspondence from our local community who want guidance on how to manage their stress, how to talk to children about Covid-19 and how to maintain healthy relationships in the home while social distancing.”
Stigma
She explained that psychologists and those working in the mental health field have been actively trying to break the stigma of seeking treatment.
She added that the current situation has helped people understand that, globally, no one is immune from mental health issues.
“One of the obvious side-effects from social distancing is loneliness,” she explained.
“Loneliness has a huge impact on our stress levels, even under normal circumstances we know from a psychological perspective it can contribute to depression and anxiety.
“Due to Covid-19 we are not only lonely, many of us are also stressed about our loved ones, our jobs and the future.
“And many of the activities we did to destress we are not able to currently engage in, which can cause a surge in symptoms of depression.”
Bahraini psychotherapist Eman Nouraldeen also told the GDN that clinics in the country have had to alter the way they provide mental health services, such as online therapy, in order to reach patients during these unprecedented times.
“I can say that maybe 85 per cent of our clients have moved online,” said Ms Nouraldeen, who is a partner and psychotherapist at Insights Therapy.
“This changes the dynamic because part of working with depression and anxiety is giving them a safe place where they can talk and some people have trouble finding the privacy to be comfortable.
“I know some clinics are not doing online therapy and doing phone therapy, which makes it even more distant, so there has been changes to how mental health services are being provided.
“Even if the clinic does have face to face sessions, many patients are opting out of it.”
She also urged the public to engage in discussions about mental health within their own communities in order to better address it and encourage people to seek help.
“What really needs to happen is that we need to talk about mental health,” she stressed.
“We are changing and the world is changing and trying to get to a new normal, so there’s a huge fear about when this will end and the anticipated loss.
“This causes people’s stress levels to increase and in turn causes anxiety.
“People are more alone than they have ever felt because sometimes your home is not a safe place and home can be where the danger is and being locked down at home creates more tension.”
Both experts also recommend that people try and maintain good mental wellbeing by ensuring a healthy routine and reaching out to people to maintain relationships.
ghazi@gdn.com.bh
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