Mexico City (apro). The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated that due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the escalation of symptoms of depression and anxiety in Mexico has resulted in very serious symptoms, becoming one of the countries most affected by mental illness.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, based on a survey incorporating the “Minds in Shape, Functions in Shape” report, indicated that as a result of the health crisis, Mexico’s population now has the highest levels of anxiety among the countries that comprise it.
It is estimated that 50% of its population has this condition, while in the year before the pandemic this percentage was 15%.
As for depression, its prevalence increased ninefold. Before COVID-19, about 3% of the population in Mexico reported symptoms of the disease, and now it is 27%, just behind Korea and Sweden, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The international organization warned that “discrimination against people with mental health problems persists, and stigmatization of mental health problems remains high, but with differences between OECD countries.”
Through a survey, 45% of those consulted in Mexico said they agreed that “anyone with a history of mental health should be excluded from public office”.
With this, the proportion of people in Mexico who said they would be willing to discriminate due to conditions affecting half the population is more than 25% of the average of the OECD and any of its members, such as Colombia or the United States.
The ‘Fit Minds, Fit Work’ report confirms that the Covid-19 crisis has led to a sharp increase in levels of psychological distress. He adds that “one of the main reasons is the interruption of education and work,” so it is necessary to increase investment in mental health and provide specific support to young people and those who have lost their jobs or part of their income.
The document reveals that mental health interventions in OECD countries often arrive “too late for people with mental illness”; This is despite the fact that the economic costs of this neglect account for more than 4.2% of GDP, and more than a third of this is due to low employment rates and the impact on people’s productivity.
Even before the pandemic, people with mental health issues were 20% less likely to be employed and paid 17% less than their peers without mental health issues, the report details.
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