KARACHI: As many as 446.51 million people around the world were infected with Covid-19, of which around six million persons failed to survive, while 380,489,141 people recovered from the viral infection, Psychology Department head Dr James Kay of the Kabarak University, Kenya, said while delivering a keynote address during the inaugural session of a daylong second international conference on “Post-Covid impact on mental health of millennial: physical, social and educational challenges”.

The event was organised by the Department of Psychology at the auditorium of the Karachi University Business School on Thursday.

Dr Kay said Covid-19 had also affected interpersonal relationships and the mental health problems led to new problems as well as its negative impact on daily activities were also reported due to obvious reasons. Suicidal ideation, risky behavioral tendencies, and drug and substance use had led to mental problems in many countries since the Coivd-19 outbreak, as the majority of the world had to impose lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Dr Kay shed light on millennials mental health during the pandemic and also mentioned the influences on financial, health, and family matters regarding different generations. He observed that psychologists from different parts of the world believe that the impacts of Covid-19 were long lasting, and it would take a lot of time to recover from the financial losses.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Mental Health Authority president Dr Karim Khawaja, who was the chief guest, said that Covid-19 had affected all walks of life in political, social, and economic spheres. He added that for the first time, psychologists from the University of Karachi and the University of Sindh had been taken on board for counseling, and mentioned that the students of both varsities would now be able to visit Jinnah and Civil Hospital for training. He termed such conferences the need of the hour.

Addressing the conference, Karachi University acting Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasira Khatoon said that the Covid-19 had adversely affected not only human health, but also their personality and attitudes.

“During the pandemic situation, we have witnessed the weaknesses in our healthcare system,” she said and observed that a pandemic entailed a potential risk of an outbreak of mental health issues. She advised that a well-developed health care system was needed to pay due attention to the mental health of the people.

“We need to include the field of research, education, and health in our priorities,” she said Conference coordinator Prof Dr Farah Iqbal said that mental health had been severely affected due to Covid-19. She said that on the other hand, due to new hi-tech, many countries introduced innovative ideas to come out of losses caused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prof Iqbal shared that 25 speakers, 46 scientific papers and six poster presentations across the Pakistan and from various universities around the world had taken part in the event.

KU Psychology Department Chairperson Prof Dr Qudsia Tariq elaborated on the research, teaching activities and social services carried out by the department, and briefed the participants on the aims and objectives of the conference.

She mentioned that the conference aimed at taking into account the positive mental and physical health outcomes as well as facilitate and support researchers along with community health practitioners and policy makers.

A plenary session was also conducted in which experts in the field of mental health shared their papers.

Meritorious Professor Dr Mohammad Iqbal Afridi, Dean Faculty of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, highlighted the post-pandemic impacts on physical and mental health, and discussed the social, emotional, and physical risk factors.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2022