ABSTRACT
Speed read ‘Second pandemic of mental health problems is coming;we are not ready’ Disrupted sleep patterns caused by lack of time spent outdoors Remote services being set up to deliver psychological support in ailing healthcare systems Remote psychological support services are struggling to manage COVID-19 fear and stress, as experts warn a mental illness pandemic is on its way. Remote therapies bring help closer In Africa, at least 50 per cent of people with depression do not receive treatment and a lack of information, stigma and cultural issues are significant barriers to people seeking help, says Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization regional director for Africa. Ongoing consequences of COVID-19 crisis “Pandemics like these are not just medical phenomena;they also affect everyone's quality of life, causing social dysfunction,” says Debanjan Banerjee, a psychiatrist at the India’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, in a letter to the Asian Journal of Psychiatry.