COVID-19 Anxiety: Malaysian Regulatory Mechanisms on Mental Health

Abstract

Quarantine due to the Novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may cause a broad range of neurological symptoms, including but not limited to signs of post-traumatic stress, fatigue, anxiety, rage, panic, and even addiction to drugs. In addition, the results have showed some of these negative effects, most specifically post-traumatic stress syndrome, could have an effect on long-term people and could be more important among those with a history of mental disorder and related healthcare providers. Due to this latest COVID-19 pandemic, several nations, including Malaysia, have urged citizens to quarantine at home or at the quarantine centre. Those are among the causes that influence the degree of psychological effect on those engaged in quarantine, such as the amount of time spent in quarantine, feelings of fatigue, anger and anxiety, lack of resources such as food, water and clothes, loss of family members and love; and loss of productive knowledge. Losing income and profits owing to cessation of job or unemployed, and the stigma and guilt about getting sick or getting others sick are always viewed as something shameful and linked to mental wellbeing problems. Therefore, this research endeavours to develop a coherent regulatory mechanism which can be used to analyse the ways in order to minimise negative mental health status in the present pandemic, quarantine should last no longer than necessary; health authorities should give clear guidance and ample services to those who are impacted by quarantine. Often, healthcare staff are required to receive medical help from their supervisors, and those with pre-existing mental illness will require additional assistance through this quarantine time. In China, China's National Health Commission has called an immediate request for psychiatric distress action and has established numerous legislation and psychosocial mental wellbeing and frameworks. This condition varies from nation to nation. In Malaysia, it is arguable thatThe absence and lack of mental health and psychosocial regulatory structures, scarcity of well-trained mental health practitioners, and lack of active expert interventions (NGOs, health institutions, state municipal participation, academic sectors) could importantly affect the communities. Hence, there is an urgent need to create a robust and effective guidance that magnifies the risks of long-term psychological distress impact. Having said that, public mental health monitoring should therefore be considered as part of epidemic monitoring which may help detect potential problems. These later contribute to a forum in a way to formulate an effective solution to public mental wellbeing, and help address concerns or dilemmas that happened among pre-existing psychological illness families, during or after the outbreak of COVID-19. Ignorance of the pandemic's effect on mental wellbeing problems would not only hamper efforts to deter further dissemination of COVID-19, it would also inflate current health gaps.