ISLAMABAD: In the first year of Covid-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25 per cent, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organisation on Wednesday.

The brief highlights who has been affected the most and summarises the effect of the pandemic on the availability of mental health services and how this has changed during the course of the pandemic. Concerns about potential increase in mental health problems prompted 90pc of the countries surveyed to include mental health and psychosocial support in their Covid-19 response plans, but major gaps and concerns remain. “The information we have now about the impact of Covid-19 on the world’s mental health is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2022