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More than 68% of therapists saw a hike in the number of people seeking therapy with more people than before doing so for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Besides this, nearly 65% therapists observed an increase in self-harm and suicide ideation/death wish amongst those who sought therapy, according to Suicide Prevention India Foundation (SPIF) survey.
This survey was conducted in the month of May, towards the end of the nation-wide lockdown imposed by the Government of India.
Survey has also reported that rates of relapse amongst people who had previously recovered or were recovering from mental health related issues have increased, according to 6 out of 10 therapists. Anxiety, job loss or fear of job loss, stress, isolation/loneliness and financial insecurity, top the list of concerns of people during this time.
More than 85% (62.3% said yes and 23.3% said maybe) therapists say they have been experiencing increased caregiver fatigue, many of whom found this impacting their ability to work at their 100%.
Hypothesising a spike in mental health-related issues, SPIF, a Bangalore-based, not-for-profit organisation, reached out to mental health professionals (MHPs), that included psychotherapists and psychiatrists, across the country to explore common concerns people seeking therapy have been facing, the changes in help-seeking and how the pandemic is affecting the therapists personally.
Nelson Vinod Moses, Founder, SPIF, said, “We believe the data will contribute to understanding COVID-19 on how it may have exacerbated mental health conditions, trends in help-seeking behaviour, key demographics impacted, and the increase in self-harm/suicide ideation during this time”.
Even before COVID-19 ripped through India, the state of mental health was already in crisis with 150 million Indians in need of mental health services, and only 30 million receiving any form of care (National Mental Health Survey of India, 2016). With the lengthy lockdown, forced isolation, fear of the virus, financial insecurity, domestic violence and rising anxiety the crisis has deepened and is perhaps heading towards a catastrophe.
According to COVID-19 Blues, an online survey where SPIF interviewed 159 MHPs from across the country, suicide ideation, self-harm and relapses have all risen.
Noor Malik, research consultant, SPIF, said “Being locked down in the face of the pandemic has increased the already prevalent risk related to mental illness, financial insecurity and work stress, while triggering new anxieties, feelings of not being in control, depletion of social networks, job uncertainty, abuse and social isolation. This, in turn, has led to an increase in mental health-related issues affecting almost all sections of the population regardless of economic and social backgrounds”.
While the pandemic has been an equaliser affecting everyone in some way, the data reveals that some groups have been impacted more than others in the context of mental health. Help-seeking was highest amongst individuals aged 25-40 years, followed by those aged 18-25 years and 40-60 years, as reported by therapists. The highest increase in help-seeking through therapy was found among females followed by males. A considerable number of therapists said they experienced an increase in gender diverse individuals and a few saw an increase in trans individuals seeking therapy. 79.9% of the therapists saw a rise in the number of working professionals opting for therapy. 59.7% of the therapists saw an increasing number of students seeking counselling. 52.2% of the therapists observed an increase in the number of individuals with a pre-existing mental health condition.
Noor added, “Younger individuals, working professionals and women are seeking more help during these times. This could mean that they are most open to help-seeking but this doesn’t take away from the fact that almost all demographics are affected adversely in the current situation”.
Nearly 29% of the therapists have observed an increase in clients who have self-harmed, as well as those who have expressed suicidal ideation or death wish. Over 42% of the therapists reported a possible increase in individuals presenting with suicidal ideation and 35.8% reported an increase in people having self-harmed. While most therapists (48.4%) said the increase in suicide ideation has been below 10%, some (22.6%) have reported an up to 50% spike. The increase in persons who have self-harmed also shows a similar pattern.
While many groups of people are vulnerable to triggers inherent in the uncertainty that comes with a pandemic, those with an existing mental health condition are at a higher risk. More than half of the therapists (57.9%) who took the survey said that individuals who had previously recovered or were making a recovery, have now relapsed. Nearly a third of them said this may be the case with people they work with too. While the majority of them (42.8%) found that the increase was below 10%, many (37.7%) observed an up to 50% hike in relapses, with one therapist having experienced a doubled rate.
“India already has the highest number of suicides globally. With the COVID-induced lockdown, self-harm and suicide ideation have upped. Other than creating awareness, reducing stigma related to help-seeking, and providing psycho-social support, the government will need to increase socio-economic safety nets, and think of ways to support those suffering abuse,” noted Nelson.
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