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Mental health in a pandemic: Front Shop Module 1, 2022
COVID-19 has become a global crisis which has disrupted many aspects of life for most, if not all, of the world’s population. The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and its full impact on mental health is not known. Nonetheless, mental health has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lockdowns, quarantines, social restrictions, school and business closures, loss of livelihoods, decreases in economic activity and the shifting priorities of governments in their attempts to control COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the world have increased psychosocial stress levels and affected the mental health of populations.
COVID-19 is associated with mental health issues in patients with COVID-19 and in health professionals who care for patients with COVID-19. COVID-19 has also been associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder in the general population and may worsen symptoms in patients who have mental disorders pre-dating the pandemic. The front shop member of staff may be the first and only point of contact for pharmacy customers looking for an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment to help them cope with mental health issues during this pandemic. The front shop staff member may be able to use this opportunity to educate the general population, COVID-19 patients and their families about the importance of maintaining good mental health during the pandemic and how patients can take care of their own mental health.
