The Ministry of Health and Family welfare on 4th July 2020 has issued guidelines for effective mental health management in general medicine and specialized mental health care settings in the times of COVID-19.
Key Highlights from the guidelines.
- For mental health assessment of COVID-19 patients in healthcare and community settings, the guidelines said psychological issues following the pandemic are likely to be common.
- The telepsychiatry platform may be considered appropriate as this will reduce the risk of contracting infection for health care personnel and prevent wastage of valuable personal protection equipment.
- The Guidelines suggested Online training sessions for mental health professionals across the country to be conducted regarding their role in this time of pandemic COVID-19.
- For mental health issues in children and adolescents, the guidelines advise parents to keenly observe for any emotional or behavioral changes in their adolescent kids.
- For addressing mental health issues among pregnant and postpartum women during COVID-19, the guidelines noted that addressing perinatal mental health issues is critically important for both the mother and the baby.
- The document further noted that social stigma increases during infectious disease outbreaks and are often not given the emphasis required.
- Steps need to be taken at all levels to ensure that stigmatizing behaviors are strongly discouraged. A failure to control stigma will impede and slow disease control response.
- There are many instruments for screening common mental disorders in disaster settings including PHQ-9 and GAD-7. A recently validated instrument for primary care attendees in India (Screening Instrument of Clinical Schedule for Clinical Psychiatry Ver 2.3) is being suggested for use. The instrument can be used by any frontline medical professional.
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