A psychologist and psychiatrist’s profession has gone through a metamorphic change during the pandemic. In this video essay series, mental health practitioners talk about how they believe their profession has changed, in terms of the practice itself, along with how the perception around mental health illnesses amongst different social groups. The role of social media in raising awareness about mental health is highlighted coupled with the pros and cons of the online platforms in the profession of psychological counselling and psychiatry. Experts also shed light on the activities they engaged in to take care of themselves during an overload of cases. and the advice they gave to their clients to counsel them in the most effective way, under the given circumstances.

The COVID19 pandemic wreaked havoc worldwide, causing countries around the globe to implement preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus. The imposition of countrywide lockdowns, exacerbated socioeconomic disruptions, rapid virtualization of communications, accompanied by the consequences of rising viral infection and high mortality rates from covid19, were all detrimental to the mental health of people across demographics and social identities. A large percentage of the population experienced intense pangs of grief, depression, anxiety and isolation as individuals lost their loved ones to the fatal virus and have witnessed the struggle for survival in hospitals, where medical care was in poor condition. There were many other factors that triggered an emotive experience of loss amongst people. In these disturbing and unfortunate circumstances, no age group was spared: from young infants, adolescents to adults and senior citizens, the lingering effects of the pandemic have elicited various behavioral and mental changes that manifest diversely across demographics. In this video essay series, mental health practitioners Dr Desiree Saimbi and Dr Niket Kasar shed light on the various afflictions produced by the current global health crisis that we currently face. They capture the numerous ramifications of the pandemic such as sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, general restlessness and uncertainties that affect the mental health of individuals across different age groups, gender and other social attributes.

In this video, mental health practitioners discuss the various issues the pandemic bought for members across all age groups. The professionals shed light on the most common disorders that people are facing and how they helped them tackle these issues. Lastly, they also speak about how the issues have changed through the course of the pandemic and the kind of uncertainty that has surrounded patients.

COVID-19 has had a deep impact on the state of daily living for most. Many individuals have become isolated as a result of stay-at-home orders and prolonged social isolation. In terms of public mental health, the most significant psychological consequence so far has been increased stress or anxiety levels. Loneliness, sadness, destructive drinking and drug use, self-harm or suicide behavior are all likely to escalate during such times of quarantines. In this video essay, we look at perspectives on different mental health disorders that were observed during the pandemic, also affecting the profession/vocation of mental health professionals and their daily lives.

The global pandemic has disrupted our lifestyle and daily routines. Drastic changes in the socioeconomic spheres have led to an incidence of mental health-related issues among many individuals; conditions such as anxiety, depression, sleep-related difficulties, trauma, and grief were common among people belonging to different age and gender groups. Along this broad spectrum of individuals struggling with mental health-related complications, many of their causes differed circumstantially: financial burdens, lack of socialization, domestic violence and coping with trauma and grief of Covid-19 related deaths. In this video, mental health professionals talk about the range of mental health problems prevalent among different communities and social and age categories. They discuss the scope of mental health awareness and strategies taken to cope with the difficulties of these trying times.