A PANDEMIC OF THE POST-COVID-BLUES
In a fast-changing world where our living conditions are deteriorating and our lives are being threatened from all sides, the news that the Covid 19-virus – after claiming millions of lives and the world economy – has mutated to give birth to variances that can still be contracted despite the controversial vaccination had left the world populace reeling – and with a serious case of the blues.
The aftermath includes bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear – and these are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating and compounding existing ones in those with pre-existing mental, neurological or substance use disorders who are more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 and stand a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death.
This unfortunate situation has increased the demand for mental health services while World Health Organization reports show that the pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide.
Dr Oladele’s research will keep her busy: she is developing a computerized adaptive test for evaluating mental health in the post-covid era while considering implications on stakeholders’ roles and policymaking with a focus on providing related support services in sub-Saharan Africa.
This is germane as relatively few people around the world have to access to quality mental health services. In low- and middle-income countries, more than 75% of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders receive no treatment at all. Compounded by stigma, discrimination, punitive legislation, and human rights abuses that are still widespread, this means that before Covid 19, 1 billion people were living with an untreated mental disorder and one person died by suicide every 40 seconds.
She points out that Nigeria has only eight psychiatric hospitals to serve a population of 150 million, eight schools of psychiatric nursing, 12 medical schools and all mental health services – most of these concentrated in the southern urban areas with but few in the north and no services at all in rural areas.
In South Africa, mental health is largely neglected. There is no national mental health plan. Service delivery is the responsibility of provincial governments. Of nine provinces, only one has a separate strategic plan for mental health. There is a lack of properly trained staff and a lack of organizational capacity. Major disruptions to critical mental health services were experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Improvements are needed – urgently. Her study aims at evaluating support services that would enhance the provision of mental health services and increase the well-being of the population through a transdisciplinary and collaborative approach; and to raise the stakes of Nigeria and South Africa as a model for other sub-Saharan countries through the Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality (AAAQ) framework from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for implementation of the right to mental health and wellbeing.