From adversity to resilience in the COVID-19 era: strengthening mental health systems in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Eaton, Julian, Rahman, Atif ORCID: 0000-0002-2066-4467, Gater, Richard, Saxena, Shekhar, Hammerich, Asmus and Saeed, Khalid (2020) From adversity to resilience in the COVID-19 era: strengthening mental health systems in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN HEALTH JOURNAL, 26 (10). pp. 1148-1150.

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Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the impact of a major public health emergency on mental health, and the ways that individuals, communities, professionals and systems can react positively to such a crisis. The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) has substantial experience in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in crises, and COVID-19 has driven further innovation to support mental health and well-being.Global and regional guidance has been developed quickly, applying lessons learnt from previous disease outbreaks to respond to the pandemic at a systems level, for different population groups, and for countries of different income levels. Preliminary results from a global rapid assessment survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 on MHPSS services, indicate that 20 of the 22 EMR Member States have MHPSS as integral components of national COVID-19 response plans; one-third have allocated additional funding. However, MHPSS services have been severely impacted by the pandemic, including psychotherapy, psychosocial interventions, community services, and services for children/adolescents. Innovative solutions such as crisis hotlines, tele-consultations, digital self-help platforms, novel approaches to ensure supply of psychotropic medicines, and task sharing/shifting for basic psychosocial support, are being used in many countries to overcome service disruptions and maintain care for those with mental conditions.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans, Pneumonia, Viral, Coronavirus Infections, Health Behavior, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Disasters, Socioeconomic Factors, Health Promotion, Health Services Accessibility, Africa, Northern, Middle East, Resilience, Psychological, Pandemics, Social Determinants of Health, Global Health, Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	18 Jan 2021 09:52
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 23:03
DOI:	10.26719/2020.26.10.1148
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3113749