In Sisters Hospitallers we want to share a series of opinion articles written by some of our experts, from different countries. This is information related to COVID-19, a pandemic that worries society today.
Article: Mental health and release from isolation
Article by Dr Manuel Martín Carrasco, Psychiatrist, Medical Director of the Sisters Hospitallers’ Centres in Navarra and current Vice President of the Spanish Psychiatry Society.
Factors such as “the direct impact of the infection on people and on their family and social environment. Grief over the loss of colleagues, family and friends. Measures to isolate individuals and their changing lifestyles, and uncertainty about the way the epidemic is likely to proceed, and its aftermath. The other factors he mentions are the economic crisis and unemployment. And lastly, the shortcomings in psychiatric and social care caused by the situation.”
Article: What attention is being given to the medical problems of people with mental illness?
Dr. Lurdes Santos, Clinical Advisor of the Portuguese Province of Sisters Hospitallers, talks about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the individual.
“The pandemic that the world is trying to solve has so far killed some 400,000 people and nearly 7 million have been affected in 213 countries. The clinical picture triggers an acute respiratory syndrome of varying complexity, and although it affects everyone equally, some people are more at risk. People with previous clinical conditions, such as advanced age, suffering from previous medical or psychiatric pathologies and residing in communities or residential institutions, are at higher risk”
Article: The post-ICU syndrome of COVID19
Dr. Marcos Ríos Lago, Brain Injury Unit Coordinator at Beata María Ana Hospital of te Province of Spain of Sisters Hospitallers.
“The long hospitalizations in intensive care units that many patients have had to undergo due to the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the rehabilitation needs of those with post-ICU syndrome.
PICS is characterized by the appearance of physical difficulties (pain, weakness, etc.), cognitive disturbances (attention difficulties, memory and slow information processing) and emotional problems (such as anxiety, low mood, the possible appearance of post-traumatic stress). These difficulties can occur during the stay in the ICU, after discharge and, in many cases, in the medium and long term after admission”.
Article: Discrimination and stigma against health workers
Dr. Ricardo de la Espriella. Psychiatrist, a clinical epidemiologist. Care Director of the Province of Latin America, Sisters Hospitallers.
“During the coronavirus pandemic, there have been signs of appreciation for health workers, while there have also been manifestations of rejection, isolation, and even death threats to workers and their families, alleging fear of infecting neighbours and patients. Stigmatization of health workers has been studied infrequently. Most scientific literature focuses on stigma towards people who suffer from some type of disorder, such as HIV or mental illness.
As in many infectious contagious diseases, coronavirus is associated with actions of stigma, discrimination and rejection. Epidemics with a high number of cases and related deaths and uncertainty raise fears in the population “
Article: Impact of the pandemic in people with limited cognitive reserve
Dr. Rui Albuquerque, Clinical director of the “Nossa Senhora de Fátima Psycho-geriatric Center”, of Sisters Hospitallers in Cascais (Portugal).
“Social isolation, loss of income, unemployment or work overload are some examples of the impact of the pandemic that may indirectly compromise the mental health of each and every one of us.
As usually happens in crisis situations that affect societies, whatever their nature, people with more fragile mental health become vulnerable. In the context of the current pandemic, people with a limited cognitive reserve are not excluded from this reality. Individuals with dementia, cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, intellectual disability, and many other congenital or acquired brain abnormalities are part of this group. “
Article: The Impact of the pandemic of COVID-19 on the Individual
Dr. Lurdes Santos, Clinical Advisor of the Portuguese Province of Sisters Hospitallers, talks about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the individual.
“… We have all fallen headlong into an unexpected, profoundly life-altering global attack, beyond our control, for which there are no medicines. In this context, the risks to which the most vulnerable people are exposed are greater. There is nothing better to confirm our impotence…”
