COVID-19 and mental health: Implications for policy, services, and research

Presented by Shekhar Saxena, he a is Professor of the Practice of Global Mental Health at the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. He is a Distinguished Fellow of The George Institute for Global Health and a leading thought leader in the area of global mental health.

The webinar looked at the profound impact COVID-19 has had on people’s mental health and the different ways countries have responded to support the mental health of their populations. Professor Saxena has discussed how the crisis has shone a spotlight on the need for decisive action for policies and services for mental health, explore what action is necessary to ensure support for mental health stays on the agenda globally, and talk about the various opportunities for research on the biological, psychological and social factors affecting brain and mental health.