Distress due to COVID-19 – Dr Norman Swan

Distress & Covid

There are a lot of people experiencing psychological distress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. And by psychological distress, I mean, a combination of anxiety and depression, as well as other features which you just kind of feel distressed and stressed.

Your general practitioner can ask you questions in a formal questionnaire to assess your level of distress, and then advise treatment accordingly. They can refer to you for a mental health plan to a psychologist, or you can look up one of the federal government approved websites for mental health.

You can assess yourself on one of these websites, such as MoodGym, M-O-O-D-G-Y-M but there are other sites as well, which are very reliable. And finally, Beyond Blue has a helpline which can help people in trouble or feeling that they’re in trouble with COVID-19 psychologically.

Dr Norman Swan, Physician and Journalist