Focus: GS-III Disaster Management
Why in news?
- According to a recent survey: A nationwide lockdown may have prevented the COVID-19 pandemic curve from peaking earlier but it certainly has shown adverse impact on the psychological profile of people in the form of rise in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Home Affairs is examining the impact of the lockdown on citizens’ mental health.
Details
- The survey indicated that 28.2% of population (that participated in the survey) suffered from PTSD during lockdown in India.
- The survey has recommended that health care professionals and other authorities, psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, nursing staff etc., should be made aware of this aspect of lockdown and that mental health specialists and physicians should brace themselves for increased number of consultations for PTSD and should be able to manage them appropriately.
The Parliamentary committee on mental Health during Lockdown
The Standing Committee had a meeting where it discussed a range of issues including mental health as well as the ‘adverse’ health impact on children from prolonged exposure to online classes.
The Committee took note of impacts such as:
- Continuous exposure to computer or phone screens (as a part of online classes) on eyesight.
- The digital divide and the difficulties faced by students belonging to families that are not economically well off.
-Source: The Hindu
