COVID-19 disrupts mental health services in most countries, a WHO study

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or stopped critical mental health services in 93% of countries around the world, while demand for mental health is growing, according to a new WHO study. The survey in 130 countries provides the first global data showing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health services and highlights the urgent need for increased funding.

The study was published ahead of the WHO A great event for mental health ̶ A global online advocacy event on October 10 that will bring together world leaders, celebrities and advocates to call for greater investment in mental health after COVID-19.

The WHO has already highlighted chronic underfunding of mental health: before the pandemic, countries spent less than 2 percent of their national health budgets on mental health and struggled to meet the needs of their populations.

And the pandemic is increasing the demand for mental health services. Grief, isolation, loss of income and fear trigger mental health conditions or worsen existing ones. Many people may face increased levels of alcohol and drugs, insomnia and anxiety. Meanwhile, COVID-19 alone can lead to neurological and mental complications, such as delirium, anxiety and stroke. People with pre-existing mental, neurological, or substance use disorders are also more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection ̶ may have a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death.

“Good mental health is absolutely key to overall health and well-being,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “COVID-19 has stopped providing basic mental health services around the world just when they are most needed. World leaders must move quickly and decisively to invest more in life-saving mental health programs ̶ during and after a pandemic. ”

Research reveals major disruptions in the work of critical mental health services

The survey was conducted from June to August 2020 among 130 countries in six WHO regions. It is estimated how the provision of mental, neurological and substance use services has changed due to COVID-19, the types of services that have been disrupted and how countries are adapting to overcome these challenges.

Countries have reported widespread disruption of many types of critical mental health services:

• Over 60% reported the cessation of mental health services for vulnerable people, including children and adolescents (72%), the elderly (70%) and women in need of antenatal or postnatal services (61%).
• 67% saw disorders in counseling and psychotherapy; 65% on critical damage reduction services; and 45% on opioid agonist maintenance maintenance therapy due to opioid dependence.
• More than a third (35%) reported discontinuation of emergency interventions, including those for people with prolonged seizures; heavy substance withdrawal syndromes; and delirium, often a sign of a serious underlying health condition.
• 30% reported discontinuation of access to medications for mental, neurological, and drug use disorders.
• Approximately three quarters reported at least partial outages of mental health services at school and in the workplace (78% and 75%, respectively).

Although many countries (70%) have adopted telemedicine or teletherapy to overcome disruptions in personal services, there are significant differences in acceptance of these interventions. More than 80% of high-income countries reported introducing telemedicine and teletherapy to bridge mental health gaps, compared to less than 50% of low-income countries.

The WHO has issued guidance to countries on how to maintain basic services ̶ including mental health services ̶ during COVID-19 and recommends that countries allocate mental health resources as an integral part of their response and recovery plans. The organization also encourages countries to monitor changes and disruptions in services so that they can be contacted as needed.

Although 89% of countries in the survey reported that mental health and psychosocial support are part of their national COVID-19 response plans, only 17% of these countries have fully additional funding to cover these activities.

All of this emphasizes the need for more money for mental health. As the pandemic continues, there will be even greater demand for national and international mental health programs that suffer from years of chronic underfunding. Spending 2% of state health budgets on mental health is not enough. International donors also need to do more: mental health continues to receive less than 1% of international health assistance.

Those who invest in mental health will reap the rewards. Estimates prior to COVID-19 reveal that nearly $ 1 trillion in economic productivity is lost annually from depression and anxiety alone. However, studies show that every U.S. dollar spent on evidence-based care for depression and anxiety returns five U.S. dollars.

World Mental Health Day Note: Mobilizing the Global Community at #MoveforMentalHeatlh

On World Mental Health Day (Saturday, October 10), as part of his campaign Move for mental health: let’s invest, WHO invites the global community to participate in A great event for mental health, an unprecedented online advocacy event that will require greater investment in mental health at all levels ̶ from individuals to businesses to countries to civil society ̶ so that the world can begin to close the gaps highlighted in today’s report.

Great event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on October 10 from 16:00 to 19:00 CEST on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn channels and the WHO website.

For updated information on A great event for mental health, including the latest lineup of performances and visitors, visit Great event Web page. To learn more about World Mental Health Day, visit WHO campaign page.