“Lack of support system, compounded by the pandemic-induced lockdown and social distancing is a sure prescription for Co-dep”
MENTAL health during the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the emerging issues of the world today. It may even be a serious health problem in the “new normal,” an excellent subject of study for specialists in medicine, psychology, sociology, and perhaps social work.
By now, after having been quarantined for more than two months, we somehow observe these symptoms on ourselves, members of our family, especially children and the elderly, and neighbors. You may also have your own list of these observable Covid-related symptoms or behavioral manifestations from day one.
I’ve listed mine such as Covid depression (Co-dep), Covid anxiety (Co-anxiety), Covid anger (Co-anger), Covid hate (Co-hate), and Covid trauma (Co-trauma). You can add to the list or device your own set before pundits could make their own labels under their names.
Definitely, Covid-related mental health issue is not confined only to health workers or those in the front line against the pandemic. Nevertheless, it cuts across occupations, ages, colors, nationalities and colors. In April, two veteran emergency health professionals in New York apparently overwhelmed by the situation, committed suicide after weeks of attending to hopeless Covid patients and disposing corpses of the deceased. The United States topped the list of highly Covid-19 impacted countries in the world with more than 700 reported deaths daily.
Their long medical training did not prepare them for the worse that the pandemic had wrought. Hospitals and governments in Europe badly hit by Covid-19 like the United Kingdom, France, including Spain have devised special care programs for their frontliners beside pay hikes.
A Filipino ship crewmember committed suicide after months of being holed in her cabin in Barbados due to the lockdown. She just missed the sweeper flight of Philippine Airlines sent by the government to fetch stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) a week after her self-imposed demise.
Earlier, a similar sweeper flight brought home about 200 OFWs, mostly seafarers in Miami, Florida, the longest non-stop haul of the Philippine flag carrier thus far.
Personal relationships play an important role in managing mental health issues. Lately, Sarilikha “Boying” Orcullo, a budding online graphic artist and law graduate succumbs to Co-dep. He was the third son of the late journalist Alexander L. Orcullo and former Davao City councilor Nenita Roldan-Orcullo.
He was to take this year’s bar examination when Co-dep brought about by long marital problem finally overtook him in the afternoon of June 17. Lack of support system, compounded by the pandemic-induced lockdown and social distancing is a sure prescription for Co-dep.
That is why children-focused organizations such as the Unicef, Plan International, Save the Children in the Philippines, Child Rights Network, World Vision, terre des hommes, and other national and international nongovernment organizations have devised ways to reach out on children who are affected by the pandemic. They also produced and distributed reading materials and hosted online webinars both for caregivers and children aimed at cushioning the impact of the pandemic.
Furthermore, the Child Rights Coalition (CRC) Asia, in cooperation with the Mindanao Action Group for Children’s Rights and Protection (MAGCRP) in the next few months will spearhead activities involving children and young people in the cities of Davao, Ozamiz and Zamboanga.
