BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Every one of us has witnessed the unprecedented impact of Coronavirus on the economic, social and political life of every country. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, students and government employees were forced to attend class via online and work from home respectively. In similar manner, teachers were also forced to conduct the teaching process via internet. After one year of challenge, schools are now opened and civil servants have returned back to work with all necessary precautions.
The psychological pressure and stresses caused by the pandemic on students and teachers were so strong though the feeling is still there. Owing to this reason, the intervention of psychologist is taken as a serious measure and a welcoming approach.
According to Mulu Mekonnen, Consultant Psychologist with Impact Ethiopia Psychological Service and Public Health Consultancy, Coronavirus pandemic has brought about lots of challenges to the society. This challenge has no demarcation. Rather, it is the problem of both economically developed and developing nations.
As she stated, following the pandemic people from all walks of life are still suffering from fear, stress and traumas. Due to the pandemic, students are forced to finalize courses within short period of time. Even the closures of schools have caused them undesirable impacts on school children. This, in turn, has put pressure on students that are found at all levels. It is not difficult to speculate the burden that the situation has created on students and the nation as well.
In fact, with the limited time they are allowed, they could not cover the whole topic and gain the necessary knowledge from that particular course. This has a direct impact on the quality of education that the nation is striving for.
As to her, since most students are forced to finalize the course within set semester, they could be put in pressure and they will fail to grasp all the knowledge within that short period.
Undeniably, absence of sufficient time to study and lack of concentration will seriously affect their result. This is especially true for those students with poor performance.
Mulu added that unquestionably, several students have developed symptoms of stress and hopelessness due to the challenge that comes through COVID-19 pandemic and related cases.
The challenge of the pandemic is not only limited at education sector; but it has also demonstrated its unwanted shadows on the economic and political streams. Following the pandemic several political and economic crises have broken out all over the world, she further said.
This and other related challenges have driven the society into psychological pressure. Following the pandemic, economic constraints coupled with political instability, several people have become victims of insecurity and depression. Those people whose plan has failed due to the pandemic have found themselves in depression and hopelessness.
According to Mulu, everyone has a responsibility in helping those individuals who have become victims of the situation. This is especially true for professionals and media practitioners. The issue needs coordinated effort of every citizen and every sector. Both the public as well as private institutions are duty bound to alleviate the challenge.
According to her, the psychological pressure on the society has a direct impact on the socioeconomic and political affair of the nation. In this regard, active involvement of stakeholders is an issue which should not be overlooked.
Mulu said that traditional practices that ease stress must be promoted to help the society. The coffee ceremony, which is one of the traditional platforms to discuss challenges, should be promoted and individuals should be encouraged to discuss challenges. However, it should be noted that the gatherings should be conducted in a manner that take into account WHO’s and Ministry of Health’s safety measures and precautious rules.
The current political and the economic strain have created a pressure on the communities. This needs to be addressed systematically in coordinated way.
“We Ethiopians have a relative advantage in area of social bondages. We have more of socialized life style; that enables us to share our burden. What is more, we have our own indigenous traditional ways of getting psychological relief. Among people who live in the modern nations and lead modern life style, it is common to practice individual life style. For that reason, there is almost no way they can share their heartaches with family or friends. Luckily, here in Ethiopia, the social bondage is too tight and strong. Whenever someone losses loved ones it is common to be surrounded and threated by families, friends and relatives. It helps one to share burden.”
Absence of psychological therapy in both public service and private sector is the other serious challenge to our country. According to the definition of WHO, health is not all about physical wellbeing. It also includes the psychological peace of the society. In this regard, there should be a thorough action in the area.
Mulu recommended that organizations, firms and others should create a platform for their workers to discuss matters. They should also hire professionals in the area to help individuals who are seriously or moderately affected by such psychological threats.
The role of media is the other area recommended by Mulu. She said, election periods are full of political issues and the media should play key role in presenting programs that relieved the minds of the society. The political unrest and similar issues posted on the social media affect the psychological wellbeing of the society. Owing to the past experiences, majority of the society have uncertainty and worriedness towards elections. For this reason, media should help the communities by working with psychologists and other professionals. The media should not always act as the voice of the politics. It should also give priority and attention to serve the communities and meet their needs.
The Ethiopian Herald 21 March 2021
