How to achieve mental well-being in times of pandemics

If there is anything certain about this Covid-19 pandemic covering nearly 200 countries in the past 11 months, in addition to 45 million infected and more than 1.1 million dead, they are mental health problems. Numerous national, regional and international scientific studies conducted in recent months highlight this situation for millions of people who have had to cope with the impact that the coronavirus has generated, especially the most vulnerable months of uncertainty, fear, economic stalemate, limitation of freedom of movement, scarcity, social distancing, among many other measures.

With an eye to the mental health problems generated by the current COVID-19 pandemic that we are experiencing around the world, the Ineco Foundation together with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has organized the first international virtual symposium on neuroscience and wellness, with the best Argentine experts and professionals recognized from abroad. The topic addressed by the title “Building the neuroscience of well-being during and after the pandemic“, Focused on researching the tools society needs to preserve mental well-being during these coronavirus times.

Neuroscientist and founder of the Ineco Foundation, Dr. Facundo Manes, this has raised the challenges we face during the pandemic and what we can expect the next day when it ends. “In recent times neuroscience has emerged to try to unravel the various puzzles posed by the brain. Many neuroscience experts have tried to scientifically address well-being in recent years. Although well-being is a broad or vague concept, it is possible to approach it from science. When we talk about well-being, we tackle the theme of happiness and relate it to traditions. One of the research focuses is on pleasure and desire. There is a determination of the reward circuits underlying the brain which are pleasure mechanisms which are communicated by neurotransmitters or chemical messengers. When researchers ask our patients,how they achieve happiness or well-being? Some tell us with more money, through a romance, traveling, etc. But it turns out that after their answer we ask them again: and after we get it, what? Because when we reach a goal it is clear that we are not satisfied and we seek one or more others, without experiencing the well-being that we continually pursue, ”said Manes.

And I add: “In recent years we have learned that our brains are constantly changing throughout life and that each of us can positively influence this permanent change.. Decisions affect our health and well-being. Genetics explains part of our well-being, about 30%. But science has made progress and has determined that this percentage can be increased through actions that give us satisfaction and happiness. Thus, our well-being is partly built ”.

How do we do it? We can do a lot to achieve well-being. Some of the tools that Manes offers are:

–Accept and experience our negative emotions.

-Working in the way we think and express our feelings. It is a cognitive re-evaluation of our emotions, for example, by changing situations in the way we feel and think.

-Establish possible goals

-Enjoy and enjoy the simplest moments in life

-Perform healthy activities, such as physical activity, sleep at least 7-8 hours, eat a healthy diet

– Manage stress and knowing how to say no in some situations. Knowing how to manage our expectations

-Be more resistant

-Enjoy the present it makes our brains more productive. Our mind is always thinking about the next task. But this does not make us enjoy the present. Avoid multitasking, it can make us happier and be more successful.

-Be grateful and appreciate what you have: Many people believe that achieving a goal leads to happiness. The important thing is to be happy in the present and go through the fact. Because after getting something you always want more.

-Be altruistic: altruism activates the regions of the brain that give pleasure. An unhappy brain is less intelligent, less productive.

-Have more human relationships, even in times of pandemics. Intimate and loving relationships are one of the most important values ​​that give us well-being. We must consolidate human bonds, even if virtual if they are not seen or cannot be together.

The doctor Renato Oliveira and Souza, explained in his presentation the head of the Mental Health Unit for the Region of the Pan American Health Organization (OPS) “There is no well-being without mental health“, That today the world is in a complex situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic with many direct consequences on mental health.

“Common reactions like fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are on the rise, as are social stigma and exclusion. All of this brings us many mental disorders. At the same time, there are challenges such as information overload, fake news rumors, lack of correct or accurate information that generate more stress and concern. And for this reason it is necessary to strengthen the community approach to help others, in order to rebuild the mental health of populationsThe expert said, which he exemplified with concrete investigations conducted in recent months to validate his claims about the impact on people’s mental health during the pandemic.

“A national survey in the United States reported that nearly half (45%) of adults indicated that their mental health had been adversely affected due to concern and stress about the virus. Another study conducted in Brazil found that in the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half (52%) of the adults surveyed experienced moderate psychological distress and 18% suffered from severe distress. A national study in Mexico concluded that 50.3% of respondents reported moderate to severe psychological distress; 15.7% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 22.6% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms and 19.8% reported moderate to severe stress levels, “the specialist said.

And regarding what health workers are experiencing, Oliveira and Souza indicated that a survey of health workers in Paraguay found that 32% reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression, 41.3% anxiety, 27, 8% insomnia, 38.9% anxiety and 64.3% compassionate fatigue. Another survey conducted in Canada reported that among health workers caring for people with COVID-19, 47% said they needed psychological support. Another regional APHO survey on alcohol and COVID-19 proved this 32% of the sample of 12,328 adults with low-medium income levels reported at least one episode of excessive alcohol consumption. And he found that it is more common in young people between 18 and 39. Lower socioeconomic strata consumed less alcohol and experienced more emotional symptoms.

PAHO’s work during the pandemic

Regarding the work done by PAHO in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and regarding the Recommended interventions in mental health and psychosocial support (SMAPS, for its acronym in English), the expert noted that Regarding the role of communication, it is essential to develop, adapt and disseminate communication materials related to the coronavirus. As for strengthening health systems, work needs to be done on the ability of health systems to deliver effective Smaps responses to the pandemic. And support the mental health and well-being of healthcare professionals, frontline workers, healthcare executives and decision makers. With regard to epidemic intelligence, it is essential to provide technical guidance for the rapid assessment of the needs and resources of Smaps, in the affected areas and for monitoring of relevant indicators. Furthermore, it is necessary to generate evidence and systematize countries’ experiences.

To strengthen public health measures, it is necessary to enable digital / virtual support for the delivery of Smap interventions and to strengthen their coordination as a transversal intervention, ensuring their integration in all sectors at regional, sub-regional and national level.

Finally, the expert has listed the challenges that lie ahead. It is imperative that low- and low-income countries prioritize their response to the population with regard to mental health problems, especially in primary care. That ministries of health coordinated responses with updated data to establish effective guidelines and campaigns. It is also important to inform the population at this time of a lot of false or inaccurate information in circulation.

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