The COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat not just to people’s physical health, but perhaps more insidiously, to their mental, emotional and psychological health as well, with uncertainty and fear of the unknown causing and exacerbating worry and stress.
For those who are quarantined at home, it is not uncommon to experience restlessness, frustration, anger and desperation for not being able to do what one used to do, or engage in activities that provided meaning and pleasure in the past. On the other hand, patients who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 face loneliness and loss of hope. Being alone and having limited interaction with hospital staff and loved ones at a time when support is most needed takes faith and the ability to cope by using previous experiences, memories and skills for survival. The same goes for the families and loved ones of COVID-19 patients, whose worry, fear and sense of loss are magnified by the isolation forced upon the patients.
What is the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being? And how can we help one another cope with feelings of anxiety, fear and even anger?
The 14th installment of the UP Webinar Series “STOP COVID DEATHS: Clinical Management Updates”, which is scheduled on July 24, Friday, at 12 n.n., will delve into these issues. Titled “COVID-19, Mental Health and Mindfulness”, the webinar will focus on coping and resilience, particularly the use of mindfulness exercises that can be used by patients, and more importantly by health care workers who are overwhelmed by their circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Anselmo Tronco, chair of the University of the Philippines (UP) Philippine General Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will be the resource speaker.
The UP Webinar Series “STOP COVID DEATHS: Clinical Management Updates” is organized by UP in partnership with Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the UP Manila NIH National Telehealth Center.
Register here: bit.ly/StopCOVIDDeathsWebinar14
You may also watch the replay on TVUP‘s YouTube Channel.
