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Around 53 percent at the Covid-19 Resuscitation Hospital, which treats severe patients, have anxiety disorders, 17 percent have stress and 20 percent have depression, according to a survey by Cho Ray Hospital, whose results were issued Monday.
The chances of getting mental health problems increase for patients who have had to receive oxygen support or ventilators, with up to nearly 67 percent of said patients experiencing depression and anxiety orders.
Tri Thi Minh Thuy, a volunteer and psychotherapist from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities who provides counseling and mental health support to patients at the hospital, said she felt "powerless" after seeing so many severe Covid cases there, so severe that many were comatose and had ventilators beeping next to their beds.
Wondering how she could help patients who were barely conscious, she decided to start with those who could still hear her voice and found that many had mental conditions like panic, depression, loneliness, and antisocial tendencies.
She has tried to help them as much as she can, including with small things like feeding them or giving them massages.
Through her interactions, she found that the three main mental issues patients had were anxiety disorders, paranoia and depression. Some of them regained consciousness only to find themselves surrounded by wires and machines.
Others witnessed first-hand the death of fellow patients.
The most unfortunate are those who lost loved ones to Covid, which drove them to the point of mental breakdown, Thuy said.
These people would need mental healthcare and people to support them, though some have improved thanks to her help, she said.
Covid worries and extended lockdowns have caused mental health issues to rise across the globe, with the conditions including depression, stress, anxiety, and even suicidal tendencies.
A report in August by the Psychology Department of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities said people have been experiencing anxiety, stress, boredom, mood swings, and insomnia among others amid social distancing orders.
