Saudi Concern Over Covid-19 Lower Than Global Average

Gulf

November 3rd, 11:39am

Dammam- Iman Al-Khattaf

Children queue to enter their classrooms at the Ziegelau elementary school in Strasbourg, eastern France, as primary and middle schools reopen on June 22, 2020. AFP - FREDERICK FLORIN

The level of psychological anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Saudi Arabia is lower than the global average that exceeded 21 percent. The level was estimated at 17% in the Kingdom, according to recent data presented by the Knowledge Integration virtual Forum to Confront the Pandemic, which was held on Monday. Organized by the Ministry of Education, with the participation of international speakers and researchers from Saudi universities, the forum featured more than 50 speakers, who talked about the psychological impact of Covid-19. Dr. Meshaal Al-Aqeel, a consultant psychiatrist, presented a comparison with some countries, stating that anxiety in China was estimated at 29%, while it exceeded 21.5% in Spain and around 19% in Italy. He emphasized that the pandemic has caused an increase in domestic violence rates globally, and violence against children in particular, calling for the creation of a joint national response plan for psychological interventions in crises and inter-sectoral cooperation. For his part, Dr. Saleh Al-Nassar, the secretary-general of Education Departments, called for “humanizing the electronic school as much as possible.” He also underlined the importance of establishing new departments in schools that would focus on remote social activities and social solidarity under the name of “Social Solidarity Unit.” In order to help students deal with the psychological and social impacts of home confinement, Nassar stressed the need to resort to arts, develop special individual and performing skills, and encourage reading, narrative writing, fine arts, mathematical skills, and other. Dr. Arwa Arab, associate professor of clinical psychology at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, discussed the impact of social distancing imposed by the coronavirus pandemic on the elderly, noting that they were among the most affected groups in terms of mental health. She noted that the psychological effect of Covid-19 included depression, anxiety, and panic.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2602926/saudi-concern-over-covid-19-lower-global-average