As a form of education for the Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) to the public, on Monday (12/07) held an online lecture with the topic “Psychosocial Support for COVID-19 Patients”. Together with Nurul Kusuma Hidayati, M.Psi., Psychologist and Wirdatul Anisa, M.Psi., Psychologist, it is hoped that this online lecture can make the community as agents who provide social support for those around them who are affected by COVID-19.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, it is undeniable that COVID-19 is not just a physical health problem. However, COVID-19 is also related to psychological and even economic health problems. There are several things that have been detected as mental health problems that are commonly experienced by COVID-19 patients, such as sleep disorders, mental distress, high anxiety, adjustment disorders, depression, somatization, and PTSD. Those things normal reactions to abnormal situations. Not everyone will experience these things, but everyone has the potential to experience them.
Therefore, psychosocial assistance or support from other parties, such as family members, friends, relatives, and even related agencies, is needed to reduce the potential for COVID-19 patients to experience mental health problems. Psychosocial support based on information from the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Indonesian Ministry of Health refers to any support that aims to protect or improve psychological well-being and/or prevent and treat mental and psychosocial health conditions.
“When someone complains (about COVID-19), it is enough to listen to all their worries. Just listen to it, accept it,” explained Nurul. Actually, not only COVID-19 patients need psychosocial support, but individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, health workers, and close family and relatives also need psychosocial support. Some things that can be done as a form of psychosocial support include meeting basic needs, reducing emotional stress, sharing positive information, increasing and maintaining positive relationships, reducing stigma, and increasing resilience.
“When dealing with someone who needs (psychosocial support), our job (as support providers) is not to immediately change what they think about what happened,” said Wirdatul. Just be guided by three important things, namely see, listen, and connect. Look and observe, about what kind of psychosocial support the person concerned needs. Then, listen as the person begins to talk about what they are experiencing and feeling. If you feel unable and have not been able to provide psychosocial support, you can provide psychosocial support in the form of connecting the person concerned to professional parties, such as psychologists.