COVID-19 Vaccination: crucial roles and opportunities for the mental health professionals

• Published in: Global mental health Vol. 8; p. e25
• Main Authors: Banerjee, Debanjan, Mukhopadhyay, Sanchari, Sahana Asmeen, Mariam, Javed, Afzal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-01-2021
• Subjects: Anxiety; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19 vaccines; Drug dosages; Epidemics; False information; Health education; Infections; Infectious diseases; Medical personnel; Medical research; Mental disorders; Mental health care; mental health professionals; Pandemics; Policy and Systems; Primary care; Professionals; psychiatrists; Public health; public mental health; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; severe mental illness; Social networks; Stress; vaccination; United Kingdom > UK; COVID-19 pandemic; mental health professionals; psychiatrists; severe mental illness; public mental health; vaccination
• ISSN: 2054-4251; 2054-4251
• DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2021.25

Besides addressing the increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, social challenges, and building community resilience during the crisis, mental health professionals (MHPs) are in a unique position to assist the vaccination drive against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in various nations. Vaccination programs are adversely affected by misinformation, fake news and vaccine hesitancy fuelled by social media. MHPs can enable this vital public health strategy by prioritizing vaccination for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders, promote awareness and public education, debunk misinformation and integrate psychosocial care into the vaccination drives. In order to target the health inequity and discrimination faced by people with SMI coupled with their additional risks, the authors urge the global mental health fraternity to tailor these crucial roles with respect to COVID-19 vaccination based on the regional needs and contexts.