Open AccessImpact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Care Delivery: A Narrative Review
Author(s) -
Binil Velayudhan,
K Y Divya
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of communicable diseases/journal of communicable diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.151
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2581-351X
pISSN - 0019-5138
DOI - 10.24321/0019.5138.202115
Subject(s) - mental health , pandemic , mental illness , anxiety , medicine , psychiatry , public health , covid-19 , psychology , disease , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology
Background: Mental health care professionals across the globe should be prepared to contain the spread of COVID-19 among clients with mental illness and should adopt appropriate strategies to manage them effectively. Objective: The objective of this review was to summarize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health delivery. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was done to identify the effect of COVID-19 global pandemic in mental health delivery. Articles addressing mental health concerns of COVID-19 and its impact on preexisting mental illness and mental health care delivery, available free download in English language were included. A total of nine primary studies published from the onset of COVID-19 until 15th July 2020 were referred to prepare this narrative review. Result: There is evidence that patients with preexisting mental illnesses shows increase in stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances and COVID-19 related delusions and hallucinations during this global pandemic. The proposed drug treatment for COVID-19 and the imposed restrictions on the public to prevent the spread of the disease had resulted in exacerbation of existing mental illness or triggered new mental illness. Conclusion: There should be more research coming up to understand the real effect of COVID-19 on mental health care delivery and possible alternatives to global mental health delivery at the time of global pandemic.