BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese expert has called for greater and sustained attention to mental health and relevant problems associated with COVID-19 as this year's World Mental Health Day was observed on Saturday.
Noting that the COVID-19 outbreak was a stressful experience for the public, Lu Lin, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Peking University Sixth Hospital, said it might lead to stress responses, both physically and mentally, among the negative impacts of the pandemic.
Lu cited an online survey of over 50,000 people conducted in February and March, which found 27.9 percent of the respondents had encountered depression. Besides, about 31.6 percent of the surveyed experienced anxiety, 29.2 percent said they had insomnia and 24.4 percent showed other acute stress symptoms.
In another survey conducted in May, about 45 percent and 34 percent of more than 16,000 medical workers in Wuhan city, once ravaged by the novel coronavirus, showed some form of depression or anxiety, respectively.
Quarantine isolation and the suspension of work and schooling due to the pandemic may also trigger some mental health issues as well as drug abuse and domestic violence, Lu said.
Lu called for greater efforts to raise awareness among the public in this regard to promote the early diagnosis and treatment of the illnesses.
He underlined cooperation among governments, medical institutions and communities for the prevention and treatment of depression and other mental health conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 percent of countries, according to a survey released by the World Health Organization on Monday. Enditem
