The mental health impact of the covid-19 pandemic: Implications for sub-saharan africa

Bazghina Werq Semo; Souci Mogga Frissa

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S264286

The mental health impact of the covid-19 pandemic: Implications for sub-saharan africa

Bazghina Werq Semo^*, Souci Mogga Frissa

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

109 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings hardest hit by the pandemic. Health care workers, patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, children, women, youth, and the elderly are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Virtual mental health services have been established in many settings and social media is being used to impart mental health education and communication resources. This rapid review highlights mental health services across countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to take these services to scale and ensure equity and efficiency. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa could be immense, given the weak health care systems. Similar to the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, COVID-19 is expected to cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Uptake of mental health care services is generally low, and communities rely on social resources. Hence, efforts to control the disease transmission should be contextualized. Low digital literacy, low smartphone penetration and limited internet connection make online mental health services a limited option for service delivery. Safeguarding social and cultural resilience factors and coping mechanisms is critical in the sub-Saharan African context. Mass media is a feasible way of providing social resources. Community health workers can be trained quickly to provide mental health education, screening and counselling services. Toll-free mental health helplines can be used to provide services to health care workers and those needing customized care. Mental health and psychosocial support services need to be integrated into the pandemic response and coordinated nationally. It is critical for these services to continue during and after the epidemic.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	713-720
Number of pages	8
Journal	Psychology Research and Behavior Management
Volume	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S264286
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2020

Keywords

COVID-19
Mental health
Sub-Saharan Africa

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.2147/PRBM.S264286

Cite this

@article{50ef01fcc7ae4a94970f6b47e9555d83,

title = "The mental health impact of the covid-19 pandemic: Implications for sub-saharan africa",

abstract = "The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings hardest hit by the pandemic. Health care workers, patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, children, women, youth, and the elderly are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Virtual mental health services have been established in many settings and social media is being used to impart mental health education and communication resources. This rapid review highlights mental health services across countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to take these services to scale and ensure equity and efficiency. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa could be immense, given the weak health care systems. Similar to the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, COVID-19 is expected to cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Uptake of mental health care services is generally low, and communities rely on social resources. Hence, efforts to control the disease transmission should be contextualized. Low digital literacy, low smartphone penetration and limited internet connection make online mental health services a limited option for service delivery. Safeguarding social and cultural resilience factors and coping mechanisms is critical in the sub-Saharan African context. Mass media is a feasible way of providing social resources. Community health workers can be trained quickly to provide mental health education, screening and counselling services. Toll-free mental health helplines can be used to provide services to health care workers and those needing customized care. Mental health and psychosocial support services need to be integrated into the pandemic response and coordinated nationally. It is critical for these services to continue during and after the epidemic.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Mental health, Sub-Saharan Africa",

author = "Semo, {Bazghina Werq} and Frissa, {Souci Mogga}",

year = "2020",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.2147/PRBM.S264286",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "713--720",

journal = "Psychology Research and Behavior Management",

issn = "1179-1578",

publisher = "Dove Medical Press Ltd.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The mental health impact of the covid-19 pandemic

T2 - Implications for sub-saharan africa

AU - Semo, Bazghina Werq

AU - Frissa, Souci Mogga

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings hardest hit by the pandemic. Health care workers, patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, children, women, youth, and the elderly are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Virtual mental health services have been established in many settings and social media is being used to impart mental health education and communication resources. This rapid review highlights mental health services across countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to take these services to scale and ensure equity and efficiency. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa could be immense, given the weak health care systems. Similar to the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, COVID-19 is expected to cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Uptake of mental health care services is generally low, and communities rely on social resources. Hence, efforts to control the disease transmission should be contextualized. Low digital literacy, low smartphone penetration and limited internet connection make online mental health services a limited option for service delivery. Safeguarding social and cultural resilience factors and coping mechanisms is critical in the sub-Saharan African context. Mass media is a feasible way of providing social resources. Community health workers can be trained quickly to provide mental health education, screening and counselling services. Toll-free mental health helplines can be used to provide services to health care workers and those needing customized care. Mental health and psychosocial support services need to be integrated into the pandemic response and coordinated nationally. It is critical for these services to continue during and after the epidemic.

AB - The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings hardest hit by the pandemic. Health care workers, patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, children, women, youth, and the elderly are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Virtual mental health services have been established in many settings and social media is being used to impart mental health education and communication resources. This rapid review highlights mental health services across countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to take these services to scale and ensure equity and efficiency. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa could be immense, given the weak health care systems. Similar to the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, COVID-19 is expected to cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Uptake of mental health care services is generally low, and communities rely on social resources. Hence, efforts to control the disease transmission should be contextualized. Low digital literacy, low smartphone penetration and limited internet connection make online mental health services a limited option for service delivery. Safeguarding social and cultural resilience factors and coping mechanisms is critical in the sub-Saharan African context. Mass media is a feasible way of providing social resources. Community health workers can be trained quickly to provide mental health education, screening and counselling services. Toll-free mental health helplines can be used to provide services to health care workers and those needing customized care. Mental health and psychosocial support services need to be integrated into the pandemic response and coordinated nationally. It is critical for these services to continue during and after the epidemic.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Mental health

KW - Sub-Saharan Africa

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091199199&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2147/PRBM.S264286

DO - 10.2147/PRBM.S264286

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85091199199

SN - 1179-1578

VL - 13

SP - 713

EP - 720

JO - Psychology Research and Behavior Management

JF - Psychology Research and Behavior Management

ER -

The mental health impact of the covid-19 pandemic: Implications for sub-saharan africa

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this