Historically,all difficult times like wars,pandemics,and economic recessions were followed by great psychological struggles.Post – corona is going to be no different.And there is an impending psychological struggle that follows the pandemic.In fact,Italy and China are already facing a second epidemic in the form of a mental health emergency.And their existing mental health infrastructure is grappling to deal with the amount of distress call coming in.

“We get calls of people wanting to do suicide. Some people are really angry, and there have been calls by people saying that this is not life anymore.” – stated the mental health workers in Italy. There have been reports of a feeling of fear, numbness, insomnia, depression, confusion, anger, and emotional disturbance. India needs to fiercely gear up to face a similar crisis. But it is such a shame that we have to first start with mental health awareness. Moreover, mental health is such an elitist thing in India today. The crisis is going to take a greater toll on the most vulnerable in society – the kids and the elderly.

Kids, especially seem to display a lot of confusion. “My young sister seems to be confused. We keep telling her school will open after a few months, but she does not seem to believe it.” stated Rohil brother of a ten-year-old. “My child has really become quite after the lockdown.” said another parent during an online parent’s teacher’s meeting. Children below the age of five are in such a formative age and these experiences can leave an imprint on your children’s psyche. Tackling the country’s mental health situation starts with you. It started with you taking care of yourself, then your family, and your community. More than the work, the number one priority during this time should be to bring together your family and friends. Because the greatest sign of resilience is when you come out this happy and bonded so strongly as a family! Take the well-being test for your Kids.

– Greeshma Anantharaman