-
Important news
-
News
-
Shenzhen
-
China
-
World
-
Opinion
-
Sports
-
Kaleidoscope
-
Photo Highlights
-
Business
-
Markets
-
Business/Markets
-
World Economy
-
Speak Shenzhen
-
Leisure Highlights
-
Culture
-
Travel
-
Entertainment
-
Digital Paper
-
In-Depth
-
Weekend
-
Lifestyle
-
Diversions
-
Movies
-
Hotels and Food
-
Special Report
-
Yes Teens!
-
News Picks
-
Tech and Science
-
Glamour
-
Campus
-
Budding Writers
-
Fun
-
Futian Today
-
Advertorial
-
CHTF Special
-
Focus
-
Guide
-
Nanshan
-
Hit Bravo
-
People
-
Person of the week
-
Majors Forum
-
Shopping
-
Investment
-
Tech and Vogue
-
Junior Journalist Program
-
Currency Focus
-
Food and Drink
-
Restaurants
-
Yearend Review
-
QINGDAO TODAY
在线翻译:
szdaily -> Opinion -> 
Psychological intervention urgent
    2020-02-17  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

Winton Dong

dht0620@126.com

WHEN Wuhan and some surrounding towns were put on lockdown Jan. 23, many people expected that the novel coronavirus’ (COVID-19) inflection point would occur in two weeks’ time, which would signal a significant slowdown in the outbreak.

That is also the main reason why the Chinese Government postponed the Lunar New Year holiday to Feb. 9. But when the extended holiday ended, the country was still witnessing a large number of newly infected people. It is still not clear when the epidemic will reach its peak, Zhong Nanshan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and famous respiratory expert, said on Feb. 11, adding that it might come in mid- or late-February.

Chinese people, especially those who are living in locked-down regions, understand the seriousness of the epidemic and are willing to join efforts to fight against the outbreak. But humans are social animals. People are prone to become increasingly anxious the longer the pandemic continues. Under these circumstances, psychological intervention is urgently needed to soothe their stress, fear and even despair.

Those particularly in need of psychological assistance are frontline medics, suffering patients and people who have been placed under quarantine.

More than 25,000 medical workers from all over the country have been deployed to help Hubei Province curb the disease. Together with local medical staff, they are facing tremendous physical and mental stress. Tired doctors and nurses have to work extra hours without enough time to rest, but when they hang up their surgical gowns, they are just ordinary people like you and me.

Patients and those who are suspected of being infected are also vulnerable groups. Emotions are contagious. Their emotions will surely be negatively influenced by the rising number of newly infected cases, worsening cases and deaths around them each day. Such bad feelings make them more pessimistic about medical treatment and even about life.

Common people also need psychological support. Since the COVID-19 pneumonia outbreak, citizens of Hubei origin are cold-shouldered and discriminated against all over the country and even the world. Instead of being cared for, they have been isolated psychologically and demonized by others. Even people with little risk of contracting the novel coronavirus may need psychological comfort since requiring people to stay at home for a long period of time and to not go out unless necessary causes anxiety over being isolated from relatives and social networks.

The large number of community staff in China should also not be ignored. With the war against the virus having been extended to communities, community workers are now under great pressure. Many Chinese cities have recently introduced measures to close off communities and tighten entry restrictions by setting up checkpoints and enforcing registration and temperature checks for every single person passing through entrances. Heavy workloads day after day have put grass-roots staff in various positions under unprecedented stress.

In a word, when a society is dealing with major public health and safety issues, the mental health of all citizens must be taken into full consideration.

To tackle a possible psychological crisis, psychological counselors, psychiatrists and therapists should be included in medical teams sent to Hubei by public health authorities from all over the country. Hospitals in Wuhan and other locked-down cities should also set up their own psychological counseling offices and assistance hotlines as soon as possible.

Psychological experts and professionals, especially mental health instructors and psychology majors affiliated with normal universities based in Wuhan such as Central China Normal University, Hubei University and Hubei Normal University should be quickly mobilized and encouraged to integrate online and on-site psychological counseling resources to better serve the public, including patients, suspected patients and common people.

Moreover, professional volunteers should also be recruited from all over the world to work on mobile platforms such as WeChat and QQ to provide psychological support. With the help of the Internet, these professionals can offer long-distance assistance around the clock without having to go to a particular location.

(The author is the editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Daily with a Ph.D. from the Journalism and Communication School of Wuhan University.)

深圳报业集团版权所有, 未经授权禁止复制; Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved.
Shenzhen Daily E-mail:szdaily@szszd.com.cn