Continuing Covid crisis takes toll on peoples mental health: poll

The survey entitled "Thais' mental health during the Covid-19 era" was conducted from May 24 to 27 on 1,713 respondents nationwide.

Response to key poll questions:

▪︎ Feelings amid the Covid-19 crisis (multiple choice):

- 75.35 per cent said they are nervous;

- 72.95 per cent said they are hopeless;

- 58.27 per cent said they are bored;

- 45.19 per cent said they are afraid;

- 13.50 per cent said they are fine.

▪︎ What affects respondents' feelings (multiple choice):

- 88.33 per cent said the Covid-19 outbreak;

- 74.53 per cent said the economic crisis;

- 51.89 per cent said mass vaccination;

- 36.50 per cent said travel;

- 15.98 per cent said illness.

▪︎ How to take care of mental health (multiple choice):

- 91.03 per cent said by being careful;

- 60.82 per cent said studying ways to protect one self;

- 56.60 per cent said doing activities;

- 40.88 per cent said consulting with family members;

- 28.97 per cent said meditation or praying.

▪︎ What should government and private agencies do (multiple choice):

- 74.96 per cent said organise mass vaccination;

- 60.52 per cent said solve the economic crisis;

- 56.51 per cent said give clear information;

- 54.86 per cent said announce relief measures;

- 49.91 per cent said conduct proactive tests.

▪︎ Respondents' current tension amid Covid-19 crisis:

- 41.97 per cent said they are trying to be patient in order to survive;

- 38.65 per cent said they find it still tolerable;

- 9.46 per cent said they cannot tolerate the situation;

- 6.13 per cent say they want to give up;

- 3.79 per cent said they were unable to tolerate it.

Based on the poll results, four of 100 people cannot tolerate the Covid-19 crisis as it affected their income and jobs, said Suan Dusit Poll analyst Pornphan Buathong.

She pointed out that people's suicide rate during the Covid-19 crisis has increased, similar to the Tom Yum Kung crisis in 1997.

"Therefore, the government should instruct mental health-related authorities to take care of people who are vulnerable as soon as possible," she said.