Kathmandu, Sept. 10
UNICEF has urged the government and
other stakeholders to ensure the mental health becomes part of mainstream
health care services in Nepal.
"UNICEF calls on government and
development partners, civil society, communities and families, to contribute
to the prevention, therapy, treatment, and rehabilitation services for children
and young people and ensure that mental health becomes part of mainstream
health care services in Nepal," said the United Nations Agency in a
statement issued on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day.
For many families in Nepal, coping
with COVID-19 goes beyond keeping a social distance, wearing masks and washing
hands to avoid infection. It means confronting the
growing uncertainties and livelihood worries that the pandemic brings which
has many struggling to maintain hope in the future, it said.
"Given the previous high
suicide rates in the country, the pandemic has further exacerbated the
situation," read the statement. Since mid-March 2020, 1,350 persons,
including 319 children and 876 women committed suicide, overwhelmed by the
emotional and mental toll of months of uncertainty and sometimes combined with
experiences of trauma and loss.
Suicide among adolescent girls have
increased by almost 40 per cent during the four months of lockdown compared to
the same duration the previous year, with some increase among boys, according
to the Nepal Police.
To note, these figures only reflect those
who died from suicide and were recorded with the police. They do not include non-recorded
cases, suicide attempts nor people who are thinking of committing suicide.
Every suicide leaves a trail of grief among those close to them, said the
UNICEF.
According to the July 2020 findings of
UNICEF’s Child and Family Tracker household survey, 49 per cent of
families report an increase in stress levels since the lockdown, mainly related
to concerns about their capacity to support their children.
While suicide is
increasing among youth, they represent a minority of callers
seeking help. "It is essential to expand support services
for youth as well as address the social stigma associated with mental
issues," read the statement.
The UNICEF has said that the
restrictions that had accompanied the COVID-19 outbreak have had the most profound
impact on children and young people whose lives had been disrupted in so many
different ways including their education, recreational activities and weakening
social connections with friends, peers, teachers and families.
"For others, it entails the increased
risk of violence and exploitation including in families and communities. For everyone,
it has meant significant changes in daily life, relationships and access to
resources and services," said Elke Wisch,
UNICEF Nepal Representative.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 11 September 2020.
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