Globally, for 3 years countries developed different strategies to face the havoc that the COVID-19 pandemic was causing in people’s lives. With the guidance of the World Health Organization and various teams of scientists, timely diagnosis and traceability measures, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, the use of masks, confinements and recently inoculation through vaccines have been the main actions to contain the pandemic. However, beyond maintaining control of the pandemic, there are several challenges linked to the recovery and adaptation of the community and the health system.
The health emergency has highlighted the importance of strengthening public health institutions to face infectious diseases and implement political actions along with a comprehensive approach that allows taking care of the existing interaction between pandemic and other chronic conditions.
Currently, our country, similar to other Latin American nations, faces a difficult epidemiological situation due to the increase in chronic noncommunicable diseases, the postponement of treatments during the pandemic, the emergence of other epidemics, the effects caused by the increase in violence in cities and the accelerated advance of the climate crisis. All of which warns about the need to have consolidated health systems that can act in the face of the inequities that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Governments have projected strategies to end the pandemic, and are preparing for future health emergencies, improving health care guarantees, investing in primary care and strengthening collaborative support among states. Among the gaps detected, an area that requires urgent injection of resources and that had already been weakened before the pandemic is mental health.
Several international studies report some limitations that mental health care programs had in the quarantine period, which restricted community access to specialists in the area.
On the other hand, other studies show that domestic violence against children, adolescents and women has been increasing and is closely associated with the context of the uncertainty of the pandemic.
The pandemic has exposed and entrenched pre-existing social inequalities in the prevalence of violence against the most vulnerable population, and globally, significant deficiencies of health systems in responding to and preventing mental health problems have been demonstrated. For example, telephone connectivity and internet access have been possible mainly in countries or cities with high incomes, therefore, there is a vulnerable population of children, young people and families who did not receive mental health care via telephone or through the virtual telemedicine channels implemented during this period.
Although initiatives were created that were part of the Government’s strategies (practical guide on emotional well-being, telephone lines or telematic attention that provided guidance), and also from universities, with support systems that allowed to address emerging problems and support with the first reception to be able to guide and refer, there were two years in which mental health was lagging behind, with presence in addition to social problems and the socio-political context, where families were affected by factors such as unemployment, loss of relatives, teleworking, the difficulty that students had to respond to academic demands at home, among others.
The literature points to greater vulnerability, risk and impact on women’s mental health, and this was undoubtedly aggravated by the pandemic. The global situation indicates that rates of mental disorders are increasing, with a close relationship with marginalization, impoverishment, violence and domestic abuse, overwork and stress, especially in women’s health.
Based on the above, it is necessary to invest in programs that can manage the increase in the demand for care regarding people who have developed mental health disorders in a situation of COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time, prevent the development of future mental health problems in the general population, through campaigns that allow people to support manage their emotions and adapt to new social and environmental scenarios in the context of a controlled pandemic.
Recognizing these challenges, strengthening the learning acquired, planning strategies to solve them and creating programs that emerge from the needs of the community with specialized mental health teams, will allow us to have a more resilient, empowered and proactive society in the face of future social, health and environmental problems that lie ahead.
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The content expressed in this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.
