Coronavirus: Counsellors advise public on building strong mental well-being

A senior lecturer at the Department of Guidance and Counselling, at the University of Cape Coast Evelyn Brenya has urged the general public not to fall prey to the numerous misinformation on COVID-19 being churned out.

According to her, the only way to reduce the level of anxiety the pandemic presents is to seek information on the disease from the appropriate quarters and avoid every myth that surrounds it.

“Truly, since we heard about that coronavirus, there so much anxiety, disappointment, tremor and fear. Sometimes the best way we can deal with them is to be well informed. Also, since information is very important, let’s listen to the news disseminated about the disease. However, let’s avoid the myths surrounding it”, she stated.

Speaking to ATLFMNEWS, Miss Brenya wants the public to do these while adhering to the laid down safety protocols. These she indicated will help improve the mental state of people within this period.

On her part, Dr. Mrs. Rita Holm Adzovie a Senior Lecturer also from the Department Guidance and Counselling has urged school authorities to make it a point to consistently monitor the level of compliance to the various measures they have put in place to curtail the spread of the coronavirus on their respective school compounds and campuses.

According to her, most of the students usually fail to adhere to the safety protocols when no one is watching. However, a regular check by the authorities will help ensure that students do what is expected of them in relation to the Covid-19.

“School authorities should find ways and means of checking what is happening at different times of the day and when they see that people are not obeying the protocols or not doing the right thing, they have to find ways to get the students or whoever is involved to do what is expected because the health of one person has an effect on the other person”, she indicated.

Dr. Mrs. Adzovie further stated that school authorities should also on a regular basis roll out programmes that can help promote the mental wellbeing of their students within this period.

“Authorities can also come up with programmes to build on mental health as well as reduce the anxieties and stress of the students they deal with. These programmes can be in the form of clubs or support groups where people can share something like how bad they feel about certain things as well as how they are coping with difficult situations. Here, participants can learn from one another”, she noted.

She also urged students to be each other’s keeper during this COVID-19 period adding that, “we need to realize that how soon the virus goes depends on all of us. Thus as a student, you have to obey the protocols that the school authorities come up with. You have to play your part because you can be a carrier and spread the virus. Even if the school authorities are not saying anything, you have a part to play in ensuring that the world is free from COVID-19”.