MENTAL HEALTH AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC: APPROPRIATE COPING STRATEGIES

COVID-19 is a global public health crisis, and is turning to be a major mental health problem. This review provides a broad overview of mental health situations during COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and globally, while some preventive methods to improve mental health conditions during the pandemic were provided. In the Africa context, various government authorities must ensure the provision and accessibility to mental health care services such as routine preventive information, mental health counseling and self help measures, and social supports such as palliatives, basic needs and special financial assistance to the public during the pandemic. Generally, coping strategies such as personal care-based measures (adequate nutrition, personal hygiene, adequate sleep and rest) activity-based measures (regular physical exercise, learning new tasks and engaging in novel adventures and mindfulness meditation) and behavioral-based measures (avoidance of psychoactive substances, taking breaks from COVID-19-related information, social connectedness and showing supports to others, setting achievable targets, help seeking measures and psychiatrist’s visitations, adherence to all COVID-19 preventive measures and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines) are all viable preventive methods against mental health conditions during the pandemic globally. It is recommended that researchers should conduct more studies on the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health status in Africa populations to ensure a valid basis for proper interventions during and post pandemic era. Also, African countries should seek supports and routine guidance from appropriate international health organizations to ensure an updated and frequent mental health care delivery to the public