Dr Kagisho Maaroganye, psychiatrist and public sector national convenor of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (S

TheTakeOff | Mental health is the biggest threat of 2021: The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders.Dr Kagisho Maaroganye, psychiatrist and public sector national convenor of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) says that with the high levels of grief, uncertainty, stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic, we need to ask ourselves “how does the nation ‘sanitize’ or protect their minds and build resilience?”People around the world are facing increasing mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.Although statistics from South Africa have not been released as yet, a study conducted by the Indian Psychiatric Society showed a 20% increase in mental illnesses since the coronavirus outbreak in India A meta-analysis on mental health and Covid-19 among the general population in China estimates the prevalence of anxiety to be around 31.9%, and depression around 33.7%.