Covid-19 patients and even those who have recovered need community support, says the Malaysian Mental Health Association.
MMHA president Dr Andrew Mohanraj said there was a lot of stigma linked to the virus, adding that those with pre-existing mental conditions were even more vulnerable to being driven to extreme measures such as taking their lives. “They need community support and for that to happen, there must be a clear flow of information to the patients and to their family members. People might not fully understand the extent of damage that Covid-19 can cause,” he said.
He said community and religious leaders played a big role in educating the community to prevent discrimination against Covid-19 survivors, or even people suspected of having the virus, or those who were under quarantine. “Frontliners may grapple with the fear of getting infected and experience heightened distress watching infected patients die. And they too could face social boycott and discrimination.He urged frontliners to reach out for professional help if they needed to, and urged them not to shy away as their needs should be addressed as well.