The Silver Lining
of the Pandemic
Trapped in this confined space for quarantine. The feeling of hopelessness, impatience, anxiety and depression suddenly rushed up. These are some of the symptoms of “cabin fever”, psychological symptoms that a person may experience when they are unable to leave their home and engage in social interactions.
But this is how people with depression and anxiety feel every day.
Research published by Front Psychiatry in December 2020 shows that patients with a history of mental illness often underwent a worsening of their symptoms with the onset of the pandemic.
But Teresa Chan, the Clinical Advisor of Mind HK who also provides one-on-one therapy treatments for adults with mental health problems, said it is actually a case-by-case situation since each patient experiences mental health differently.
While some mental health conditions will be worsened, “[The pandemic] helps some of them to feel that their problems are normal, it helps to de-stigmatise their problems,” she said.
May Lam Mei-ling, the Vice-President of the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists, took obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients as an example, “before the pandemic, they would wash their hands frequently. But as everyone is doing it right now, and the government is even promoting it, it doesn’t seem like a problem to [the patient] any more.”
According to a 2018 survey conducted by Mind HK, it even shows 71% of the survey respondents were unwilling to live with mental health sufferers, with 1 in 3 even willing to end friendships with those diagnosed with mental illness.
Cherie Mak, the program incubator and registered social worker at Chicken Soup Foundation, explained that the labelling effect is caused by the Chinese culture of “keeping things within yourself” and “always have to present a perfect image”.
Calvin Cheng Pak-wing, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong Department of Psychiatry, added that the stigma also comes from misunderstanding toward mental health.
“[Mental Health] is not that scary once you get to know about it,” he added.
The topic of “mental health” and “well-being” has now been widely discussed lately in Hong Kong. Ms Chan said, “since everyone is experiencing COVID-19 right now, its impact is more relatable, it could help to remove the stigma of mental health”.
Mind HK is a non-governmental organization that aims to improve Hong Kong people’s public awareness and understanding of mental health.
During the pandemic, they have launched a COVID-19 Mental Health Relief Scheme. The scheme provides free one-to-one remote counselling services for Hong Kong people who have been struggling from the pandemic and its consequences.
Ms Mak said, “I think especially after this year, it's all about showing care to people around you, it's a general message the government could consider spreading.”