Dr Neeraj Nischal, Assistant Professor at AIIMS, New Delhi said that misinformation regarding COVID through multiple unverified sources has led anxiety-related issues in people which manifests in the form of social stigma. Speaking to AIR News, he advised everyone to limit exposure to only verified information sources.
Dr Saurabh Mehrotra, a consultant at the Mental Health Division in Medanta Hospital emphasised that people should indulge in positive addictions namely reading books, music activities, exercises including others. Speaking to AIR News, he said, special care should be taken, not to over-expose oneself to excessive COVID related News which leads to anxiety-related issues.
The government has already launched a toll-free helpline number – 08046110007 — for people who may face any mental health issue due to the ongoing countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Earlier, WHO had warned that the coronavirus crisis and the restrictive measures that many countries are taking to contain the outbreak can have a negative impact on people’s mental health and well-being.
(with inputs from AIR&PTI)
