From : Tamar Gabunia <tgabunia@moh.gov.ge>
To : Ekaterine Adamia <eadamia@moh.gov.ge>; Ketevan Goginashvili <kgoginashvili@moh.gov.ge>; Eka Chkonia <ekachkonia@gmail.com>; lasha kiladze <lashakiladze@yahoo.com>
Subject : FW: Mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19
Received On : 19.03.2020 12:12

FYI

From: SHEVKUN, Elena
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 18:12
To: CHISHOLM, Daniel Hugh <chisholmd@who.int>
Cc: SHEVKUN, Elena <shevkune@who.int>; MURKO, Melita <murkom@who.int>
Subject: Mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19

 

Send on behalf of Dr Dan Chisholm

 

Dear national mental health focal points

 

We are hoping this finds you and your families well.

 

As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern, both in the population at large and for certain groups in particular (such as older adults, care providers and people with underlying health conditions).   In public mental health terms, the main psychological impact to date is elevated rates of stress or anxiety, but as new measures and impacts are introduced – especially quarantine and its effects on many people’s usual activities, routines or livelihoods – levels of loneliness, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use and also acts of self-harm or suicidal behaviour are also expected to rise.  In populations already heavily affected, such as Lombardy in Italy, issues of service access and continuity for people with developing or existing mental health conditions are also now a major concern, along with the mental health and well-being of front-line workers.

 

As part of WHO’s public health response, please see below for use, reference or further distribution a set of new materials on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) aspects of COVID-19 that have been developed by WHO and its partners. These are also being shared with Country Offices in the WHO European Region. Current availability of these materials in official EURO languages other than English are shown in brackets; if you wish to have or make a translation into another language, please let us know and we will get back to you.   

 

  1. MHPSS guidance documents covering different groups affected by COVID-19 [PDF documents for general grounding in the key issues and approaches]:
    1. WHO briefing note [RUS]: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_10
    2. MHPSS Inter-agency Standing Committee briefing note: https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/other/interim-briefing-note-addressing-mental-health-and-psychosocial-aspects-covid-19-outbreak  
    3. WHO/UNICEF/ICRC briefing addressing Social Stigma: https://www.epi-win.com/sites/epiwin/files/content/attachments/2020-02-24/COVID19%20Stigma%20Guide%2024022020_1.pdf

 

  1. WHO infographics and Q&A session [infographics published under technical guidance for risk communication and community engagement section of COVID-19 WHO portal]:
    1. Coping with stress during COVID-19 [RUS]: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/coping-with-stress.pdf?sfvrsn=9845bc3a_2
    2. For children during COVID-19 [RUS]: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/helping-children-cope-with-stress-print.pdf?sfvrsn=f3a063ff_2
    3. Q&A session with expert WHO HQ staff member on MHPSS aspects of COVID-19: https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1237372330696798208?s=20

 

  1. WHO guidance for provision of psychosocial support and mental health care [requiring dedicated training time and resources]:
    1. Psychological first aid (e.g. for first responders; <  1 day); [FR | GER | RUS]: https://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/guide_field_workers/en/
    2. mhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide (e.g. for general health care workers; > 3 days) [FR | RUS]: https://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/mhgap_hig/en/

 

Of course there are also a number of other guidance documents that have been prepared by you or others working nationally or internationally, and there will be more as the landscape changes again in front of our eyes.  One particular area of concern relates to access and continuity in heavily affected areas, so for those of you with experience or responsibility of service delivery and/or re-organization in crisis or emergency situations, do please identify yourselves to Elena Shevkun (copied here) and myself so that we may build up a roster of experts who could advise Member States as needed on appropriate or suggested courses of action.  

 

Take care and best wishes,

 

 

Dr Dan Chisholm

Programme Manager for Mental Health

Division of NCDs and Promotion of Health through the Life-course

WHO Regional Office for Europe

UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

 

+45 45 33 67 84 (office)

+ 45 29 10 89 59 (mobile)

chisholmd@who.int

Skype: chisholmd