A research team from the University of Macau has called on residents who suffer from mental health concerns amid the pandemic to “seek help from the psychiatrists in the hospital as early as possible and take appropriate medical intervention to halt or mitigate the progression of the mental illness and prevent its deterioration.”
In a statement, the Covid-19 research team has provided suggestions for protecting not only physical but also mental health during the combat against the epidemic.
Due to the swift transition of the city’s pandemic prevention measures, “many people may feel uneasy or even disturbed in many ways, and some may even experience great mental stress.”
Thus, the scholars have urged the pubic who experience mental discomfort to seek help from counselling hotlines.
To support the mental well-being of the community, social service organisations can further promote the importance of mental health and extend and deepen the coverage of the psychological support network wherever possible.
The UM called on the government continue to attach importance to the mental health of the public against the backdrop of the epidemic and implement targeted mental health policies and support measures accordingly. LV