Turkey has been in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic since March 2020. One year on, it continues to take a toll on the public psyche. A mental health expert says the fear the pandemic instilled in the public triggered significant mental health problems including anxiety and depression.
Associate professor Demet Sağlam Aykut said the psychological effect of the pandemic can cause severe and permanent mental problems.
Turkey has lost more than 67,000 people to COVID-19 and reported more than 7.6 million cases since the onset of the pandemic. Currently, the number of daily cases fluctuates below 30,000 while daily fatalities rarely drop below 200. The situation was far grimmer last year and the country strived to take every measure to stop the chain of infections, from lockdowns to closure of businesses. Restrictions were only lifted this summer, though a mask mandate is still in place for public areas.
Aykut said that the pandemic and related issues triggered enough factors to pave the way for the development of mental health problems, such as the fear of being infected, being forced to stay indoors (for patients and those who came into contact with patients) during quarantine, uncertainty about the future and lack of proper information about the pandemic.
