NEW DELHI : Social isolation, fear of contagion, marital strife and sudden loss of income are taking a toll on the mental health of Indians, adding to the burden of the already strained healthcare system. “There is a simmering sense of worry and fear of illness.
We have been receiving a lot of calls from people struggling with anxiety if they or their family members could be infected or should they seek tests," said Dr Jayant Mahadevan, from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), which runs a mental health helpline along with the health ministry.
The institute has been receiving hundreds of calls every day from people trying to cope with their fear and anxiety and hoping to be reassured.