Noida: After losing loved ones to Covid, people turn to psychiatrists for grief support

The slump in Covid-19 cases may be helping to bring the city back to some sort of normalcy after the second wave ravaged many homes in April and May, but for many their lives had been changed forever

The slump in Covid-19 cases may be helping to bring the city back to some sort of normalcy after the second wave ravaged many homes in April and May, but for many their lives had been changed forever.

HT Image

According to official data, 358 people lost their lives to Covid between April 1, 2021 and May 30, 2021 in GB Nagar. The mental toll is unaccounted for.

Dr Abhay Singh Tomar, a psychiatrist at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida, has treated at least 100 patients during the second wave. The most common diagnosis is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is associated with severe mental weakness after suffering a loss or accident.

“The patient finds themselves getting worried and anxious to save someone who has already passed away. In some cases, they are afraid Covid may infect their family again and they will not be able to save them,” said Dr Tomar.

And then there is “survivor’s guilt” where people think they could have done more to save their loved ones.

“Sometimes they think that they are the ones who went out and brought the infection home that led to the death, some blame an establishment like a hospital or a doctor.Such issues may result in anxiety or depression,” said Dr Tomar.

Dr Ritu Gautam, counsellor at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, adds that death due to Covid is more difficult to process for a family member due to the lack of physical presence. Many critical patients were locked away in ICUs making it impossible for the “final goodbye”.

“Closure is very important to process grief. In one such case, a woman who lost her husband remains in trauma and guilt as she could not spend his last moments with him,” said Dr Gautam.

Noida-based counselling psychologist Simran Luthra has started an online support group for such people. “In the past two months, I have consulted 15 people have sought help to deal with grief caused due to the sudden and unexpected death of their loved one due to Covid,” said Luthra.

She adds that in one such case, the person came on the brink of alcoholism. “The complete shock and trauma is triggering repressed issues in some people, like in one case where professional help had to be sought by a man’s friends after he turned to drinking after his father’s death. Mental health issues have become aggravated for those who have already been dealing with it,” she said.

Delhi-based psychotherapist Nishi Joshi has been offering grief support.

“My youngest patient was a 11-year-old girl who lost her mother, while the oldest was a 60-year-old who lost their son. People who don’t know how to deal with the loss of a loved one are hit with shock within days of diagnosis. This has been a traumatic episode which needs professional help to process,” said Joshi.

She added that the stigma around seeking professional help is a deterrent. “In cases where friends or family refer the person to a therapist, there is a lot of resistance seen from them. There needs to be more talk about mental health in order for people to feel more comfortable seeking professional help in case they are unable to handle their mental and emotional health,” said Joshi.

Dr Tomar said that timely professional treatment has been helpful in all the cases.

“The consultations for most of these cases is still going on as the professional help enables the patients to come to terms with the loss and offers them emotional aid. While the grief remains the same, the mechanism to handle it changes with counselling and therapy sessions,” he said.

GB Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Deepak Ohri said that while such cases have not been highlighted to the district health department, arrangements will be made for mental health support if needed.

“We are not aware of cases where family members of those who died due to Covid have come forward for mental health support. However, if such a request is made to the district health department, arrangements will be made,” said Dr Ohri.