Depressing times: Covid-19 lockdown casts a long shadow on mental health

From doctor appointments to sale of medicines, mental health services have been disrupted across the country, even as experts note a steady spike in mental health issues

While experts had been discussing the effect of prolonged lockdowns on mental health for some time, we now have a survey that seems to confirm their fears. Dr Jugal Kishore, who heads the Department of Community Medicine at the Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, conducted an online survey titled ‘Depression and Corona’, and its results were unsurprising.

“From the responses we have received so far, over 30 per cent show signs of depression. This is a very high rate. The people reporting symptoms come from all walks of life,” he says.

The survey was in the form of a questionnaire