It is no secret to anyone the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance it has and the level of impact it has on social activity, interactions and behaviors on multiple levels. Emotionally, social distancing and self-isolating activities can cause mental health problems, anxiety and depression. That is, the uncertainty associated with the disease itself, its rapid spread and high risk of infection, as well as the unknown duration of public health interventions to address disease progression, can cause and affect pre-existing mental health problems. This situation is logical and predictable.
Being an adolescent in this decade brings with it many limitations and is difficult under any circumstances, even more so in this contingency period. This is due to the closing of schools - with no physical participation in classes - the cancellation of public activities, and the prohibition of everyday experiences such as chatting and interacting directly with friends; it can be said that many adolescents missed out on some of the most beautiful moments of their youth. In the same vein, psychologists recognize that anxiety is a normal and healthy function that alerts the individual to dangers, and helps him or her to take measures for self-protection and for the preservation of others. For these reasons, the anxiety provoked by the behavior and increasing development of this pandemic is understandable.
It is necessary to emphasize the importance of this pandemic and how it has changed the way of living, generating an unprecedented crisis at different levels (health, economic and social), with its consequent impacts on individuals, groups and mental health. On the other hand, international experience shows that the mortality of this pandemic mainly affects older people, especially those with other previous or associated diseases.
Much has been studied about the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the biological level; however, so much is known that we know nothing, i.e., what is known about its effects at the psychosocial level and its impact on the mental health of the elderly is still insufficient. In this pandemic, what threatens the mental health of the elderly is not so much the current health measure of physical distancing, but the STIGMA and social place assigned to this group according to their age. In addition to this, the existing rejection towards old age and how this is incorporated by the elderly themselves -as a self-fulfilling prophecy-, generates that this population can become more vulnerable and excluded from families, institutions and social life, in general, which has a negative impact on their mental health.
Older people, especially if they are isolated and have cognitive impairment or dementia, may become: more anxious, angry, stressed, agitated and withdrawn during the outbreak or while in quarantine. These individuals should be provided with practical and emotional support from family members, caregivers, and health care professionals. They should also be given simple facts about what is happening and clear information about how to reduce the risk of infection, in words that people with or without cognitive impairment can understand.
Importance of containing inequality.
Worldwide, health inequalities affect the lives and futures of all vulnerable groups, creating systems of social injustice. By removing barriers to accessing health resources and services, we can reduce the burden of disease that affects the future of children, impoverishes entire families and perpetuates social injustice for generations. Vulnerable people are those who, for various reasons, have diminished capacities to cope with possible violations of their basic rights, their human rights. This diminished capacity, this vulnerability, is associated with a specific condition that makes it possible to identify the individual as a member of a certain group that, as a general rule, is in conditions of clear material inequality with respect to the majority group.
Many rural communities are affected by deficiencies in some basic services; for example, they have inadequate sewage and solid waste disposal, which results in skin diseases in the inhabitants, pediculosis in children, gastrointestinal, infectious and parasitic diseases, among others. Likewise, their access to communication and their possibilities for social development are very limited.
conclusion
Community care strategies enhance actions on health problems and needs detected as prevalent in the territory, through community activities aimed at promoting health, increasing the quality of life and well-being of the population. The participation and capacity of individuals and groups to address their own problems and needs is strengthened. Health education should be complemented with the necessary changes in the environment and in the social and economic conditions that allow citizens to effectively exercise healthy lifestyles, as well as to participate in decision making regarding their health, with the active participation of local and regional governments as the party that has the budget for the tasks that fall within their competence.
The transcription from Spanish to English was done through deepl.com.
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