People should take steps to mitigate the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health, given the anxiety many feel over possible job losses and an uncertain future, the John Tung Foundation said yesterday.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 3.76 percent, and the number of workers who had their working hours reduced climbed to more than 14,000 last month, it said, citing Ministry of Labor data.
A report published last month by the San Francisco-based nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use, cited research showing that job loss was associated with increased depression, anxiety and substance use, the John Tung Foundation said.
The report also said that with the increase in unemployment and pending recession, the number of suicides might rise.
A Kaiser poll conducted from March 25 to March 30 found that 54 percent of respondents who had lost their jobs or income said COVID-19-related worry or stress had negatively affected their mental health, the Tung foundation said.
Yeh Ya-hsin (葉雅馨), the director of the John Tung Foundation’s mental health center, said that as people take disease prevention measures during the pandemic, they should also make efforts to counter depression.
Social distancing should apply to physical distance, but not psychological distance, she said.
People can reduce feelings of loneliness by using social or messaging apps to stay in touch with family and friends, she said.
Recreational activities such as walking in a park or jogging, and adopting a daily routine and stress relief techniques are also beneficial, she said.
People who have been laid off or seen their work hours reduced should try to treat this time as a short break that would help them go farther by using it as an opportunity to learn new skills via online resources, which would also help maintain mental health, she said.
There are also ways for employers to provide support, while the John Tung Foundation offers a series of courses designed to help employees relieve stress, she added.
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