Subject: FW: Mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19
From: Tamar Gabunia </O=EXCHORGANIZATION/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=E6CA04F38EC94D0CADAB9CBDF90FCDDE-TAMAR G>
To: info </o=ExchOrganization/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=2069f7f4886b493dbd84f07150d67a52-info>
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 17:48:00 +0000

გთხოვთ დაარეგისტრიროთ

From: SHEVKUN, Elena <[email-masked]>
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:43 PM
To: CHISHOLM, Daniel Hugh <[email-masked]>
Cc: SHEVKUN, Elena <[email-masked]>; MURKO, Melita <[email-masked]>
Subject: Mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19

Send on behalf of Dr Dan Chisholm

(Примечание для русско-говорящих коллег: Уважаемые коллеги, если у вас нет возможности понять сообщение Д-ра Chisholm, пожалуйста, напишите мне и я отправлю вам отдельное сообщение по-русски. С наилучшими пожеланиями. Елена Шевкун).

Dear National mental health focal points,

We are hoping this message continues to find you, your families, friends and colleagues well.  We are contacting you to provide you with a quick update and ask about priority needs facing you in terms of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) preparedness and response to COVID-19.

On Thursday (26 March), WHO Europe’s Regional Director Dr Hans Kluge continued a new series of weekly press briefings and situational overviews on COVID-19 in the European Region, during which mental health was the special focus of his statement and the Q&A session that followed; please see the home page of WHO Europe (euro.who.int) or here for more: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/news/news/2020/3/mental-health-and-psychological-resilience-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

Latest information and guidance resources from WHO and its partners can be found via WHO Europe’s mental health home page: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-technical-guidance/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-outbreak-technical-guidance-europe/mental-health-and-covid-19

Several translations are already available; please contact us if you intend or want to make a new translation (so that we can keep track and avoid duplication). Please send any feedback on these materials and suggestions for other materials or resources that would be helpful to you during this outbreak to Elena Shevkun or myself, or to [email-masked].  Further updates will be provided to you as documents on mental health and psychosocial support during COVID-19 are updated and new ones published.

In addition to the timely provision of psychosocial guidance to the general population and for a range of affected groups, two other areas already specifically identified (by Member States as well as WHO) relate to: a) scaled-up provision of on-line / digital psychological support for front-line workers and others including people with pre-existing health conditions; and b) continuity of essential mental health (and social care) services, including community-based care as well as hospital-based and institutional care.   Interim general guidance on the latter has been published (not specific to psychiatry): https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19-operational-guidance-for-maintaining-essential-health-services-during-an-outbreak.

·         We are also sharing with you an interim WHO guidance “Infection Prevention and Control guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities in the context of COVID-19” of 21 March 2020 (attached).

Please let us know your needs and priorities so that we can best decide where to put WHO’s efforts and resources to support you in the coming weeks and months.

Take care and best wishes, Dan

Dr Dan Chisholm

Programme Manager for Mental Health

Division of NCDs and Promotion of Health through the Life-course

WHO Regional Office for Europe

UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

+45 45 33 67 84 (office)

+ 45 29 10 89 59 (mobile)

[email-masked]

Skype: chisholmd