By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, May. 29: The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health, inviting problems like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), panic attack, anxiety, and stress among many and to some, deterioration of their pre-conditions of mental health.

According to Dr. Ananta Adhikari of Mental Hospital, Lagankhel, many mental health problems resulted due to prolonged COVID-19 fear and terror such as post-COVID-19 trauma, OCD, the psychological trauma of contracting the virus are being witnessed in the population. Children also could not remain untouched by it.

He said, “The health protocols such, washing hands and using a disinfectant, directed by the government to curb the spread of the virus have been the trigger for many OCD patients.”

Subsequently, people with prior mental health history are not being able to visit the hospitals, resulting in a gap in counseling sessions.  This is a very critical period as many of the patients withdraw from medicines or are found taking excessive medicines, a result of the compounding stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adhikari said that the new cases of stress, anxiety, post-COVID-19 trauma, and psychological trauma related to COVID-19 contraction are also being witnessed.

News of the death of loved ones, wide media coverage on fatalities, confined spaces, job insecurity, the upheaving financial situation is among the factors also escalate anxiety, stress, and symptoms of mild depression.

According to Pujan Sharma, Psychologist at Manmohan Memorial Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Swayambhu, there has been a significant rise in anxiety, fear, alcohol use disorder, depression, and schizophrenia owing to lockdown measures, which are alerting the normal living conditions of many.

According to him, unable to cope up with it many are even found abusing medicines, taking un-prescribed medicines, poisoning themselves with the intake of insecticides and rat poison, multiple suicide attempts were major incidents seen amidst the pandemic, which is a clear sign of deteriorating mental condition.