The Coronavirus

and Mental Health

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

acute	battle (2)	lockdown
care	distress	come/came/come
event	resident	traumatic
access	suicide	psychiatric
mental	unit (2)	believe (2)
extra	collapse	make/made/made (2)
risk	heavy (2)	authority
hug	add (2)	eat/ate/eaten
alone	struggle	exhausting
cope	still (2)	admission
hope	troubled	skyrocket
stay	fortunate	think/thought/thought (2)
dashed	request	makeshift
isolate	increase	tsunami (2)
list	against	choose/chose/chosen
save	thing (2)	impossible
create	stress (3)	as soon as
joy	space (2)	conversation
crucial	fight (2)	social fabric
rate	strength	waiting list
left (5)	edge (2)	deteriorate
flood	defense	build/built/built
suicide	build up	emotional
afraid	share (2)	give/gave/given
suffer	situation	make it out
urgent	reenter	grow/grew/grown
tough	attempt	go/went/gone
	prioritize	good/better/best

 
 
 
 
 

Video: Covid-19 and Mental Health

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Long months of lockdown have been a battle for many young people. Teenagers in acute mental distress come to Le Domaine Hospital for psychiatric care, often after traumatic events or suicide attempts.

Among the residents is this seventeen year old we are calling “Alexandra”.

Alexandra, Le Domaine Hospital, Teen Mental Health Unit: “Covid was an extra thing that made me collapse. It was the one thing, too much, too heavy.

My dad is at high risk, so I had to be isolated from my family. I had to eat by myself, stay by myself. I couldn’t hug my parents.”

Alexandra is not alone is struggling to cope with covid. But she’s one of those fortunate enough to access this hospital’s help.

Director Sophie Maes says that requests for new admissions for troubled teens have skyrocketed since January. Maes thinks that’s due to exhaustion, exam stress and dashed hopes for a return to normality.

Although makeshift rooms were added, there are no places left. And now, even the waiting list is closed.

Sophie Maes, Child Psychiatrist, Le Domaine Hospital: “How can you choose between a suicidal fifteen-year-old and a suicidal sixteen-year-old? It’s impossible.”

Dr. Maes believes authorities could save lives by prioritizing teens as society reopens.

Sophie Maes, Child Psychiatrist, Le Domaine Hospital: “We need to create spaces for play, for joy, and for conversation. So all young people can once again be part of the social fabric of life — something so crucial for teenagers.

If not, there’s a real risk that mental health will keep deteriorating. And I truly afraid we’ll see suicide rates increase.

It feels like we are at the edge of a tsunami . . . and we urgently need to build flood defenses.”

As the young people here build up their emotional defenses to reenter the outside world, Alexandra hopes sharing her story will give strength to other teens who are suffering.

Alexandra, Le Domaine Hospital, Teen Mental Health Unit: “We’ll all struggling with the situation. But the fact that the fact that we’re all still here, and we’re all still fighting against it is something very positive and something that will make us grow. and we’ll be able to look at after and say, ‘Wow! I went through these tough times. But I made it out’.”

Her priority is getting better as soon as she can, which could open the door to another young person who needs help.

 

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Questions

Happy. Everyone is happy about being forced to stay home, and not having to go to school or work. Is this entirely true, mostly true, yes and no, in the middle, largely false to totally false?

Sad. Has the coronavirus lockdown led to a health crisis for some people?

Disappointment, Frustration. Has Alexandra been close to her family during this period? Has she and her family supported each other?

Angry. There is widespread and adequate help for traumatized teens. Is this right or wrong?

Furious, Mad. Does Dr. Sophie Maes believe more resources are need for elderly people in nursing homes?

Afraid, Scared, Frightened. Dr. Maes uses an analogy to describe the current situation. Is this correct or incorrect?

Sorrow, Despair. Does Alexandra want to live in the Teen Mental Health Unit?
 
 
 
Stressed, Depressed. In my village, town, city, country, how do people feel about covid-19 and lockdowns?

Worry, Anxiety. I personal know many people who are despondent or depressed about the current situation. Yes or no?

Ashamed, Humiliated. Are there some people who are gleeful (jubilant, elated) about the corornavirus? Who are they? Why do they feel this way?

Happy, Joyful. What should the government and authorities do?

Thrilled, Excited, Ecstatic, Blissful. What can or should ordinary citizens do?

Energetic, Motivated, Enthusiastic. What might happen in the post-pandemic world?