A Kaohsiung psychiatrist has urged people to seek help for any mental health problems they face amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Chen Feng-wei (陳豐偉), a psychiatrist based in Fongshan District (鳳山), said that financial pressure caused by the effects of the pandemic on business has resulted in some people experiencing low moods.
Several people who have recently sought psychiatric help are workers in the travel or restaurant industry, as well as taxi drivers, he said.
As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, people should seek help for anxiety, sleeping difficulties and other mental health issues, he added.
They could visit a psychiatrist, ask friends, family members or local representatives for help, seek out government resources or turn to religious or charitable organizations, Chen said.
Do not try to tough it out alone, he said.
Chen said that the pandemic has caused some patients he had not seen recently to return for appointments, adding that some whose conditions had been stable have needed the dosage of their medication increased.
About 10 percent of recent visits by patients have been related to the pandemic, he said.
In one patient, a 60-year-old woman, symptoms of anxiety were exacerbated because she was worried that her child, who was studying abroad, would be infected on their way back to Taiwan, Chen said.
Chen said that in such cases, he might prescribe medications to help patients relax and remind them not to be overly anxious.
He said that he would remind them to wear masks and maintain a safe distance from others, and reassure them that their child would make the necessary preparations.
Parents should protect themselves as well, he added.
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