Focussing on ‘mental hygiene’ along with ‘hand hygiene’ in the times of COVID-19

Abstract

© 2021 Indian Journal of Medical Research, published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow for Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research As the COVID-19 outbreak has affected most countries globally, there are guidelines established by various national and international agencies to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. It has been seen that media and public health often focus on the biological/ physical ramifications such as hand hygiene while ignoring the psychological impact. There is evidence that during and immediately after such outbreaks, many individuals directly or indirectly affected by the illness show increased symptoms of psychological nature, such as anxiety and depression1. A recent report has shown that the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms is on the rise during this pandemic as well, with rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the general population being >15 and 25 per cent, respectively2. Measures including maintaining a daily routine with exercise/meditation, following healthy eating, limiting alcohol use and avoiding negative newsfeed, have often been suggested to prevent the occurrence or recurrence of psychiatric illness3. These are important but not be sufficient for the preservation of mental health. In the Indian context, some issues may be more pertinent, like containing COVID-19 in the presence of poverty and unemployment. For example, saving a daily wage earner from contracting COVID-19 by employing measures such as lockdown, may eventually turn out to be more stressful due to the lack of income. An aspiring student’s examinations may be delayed, and individuals graduating from different courses may have difficulty being recruited for jobs due to lack of jobs/recruitment procedures. In addition, it has often been observed that individuals infected with COVID-19, particularly healthcare and frontline workers, have borne the brunt of stigma due to the same4. Thus, it becomes important to focus on the concept of mental hygiene as a part of preventive psychiatry to face the uncertainties which are likely to persist as the new normal.