Mental health at the age of coronavirus: time for change

Abstract

We are living in the age of the coronavirus (Covid-19). This emergency has put everything else in the background, conditioning and changing most aspects of our lives. As widely reported, health services in many countries are under enormous pressure and face unprecedented challenges. They are engaged in a heroic struggle but still suffer high death rates. With the spotlight on general health, mental health care suffers in silence. The need for mental health services has never been greater and, sooner or later, most of the population will experience increased discomfort and stress, particularly those with existing mental health problems. We must rethink mental health and mental health care in the era of coronavirus.