The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health of Migrants and Refugees: Examining the trends of risk factors prior, during and post COVID-19, and strategies for the recovery process
Abstract
The potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health is immensely increasing and poising significant challenges for future health policies and interventions. Examining changes in population mental health pre, during, and post lockdown is crucial and imperative to determine the variation of risk factors and significant predictors during the spread of COVID-19 in 2019-2020 among multicultural communities and other minorities socially isolated vulnerable, disadvantaged communities.
Today, as the global pharmaceutical industry’s quest for a new vaccine stretches out, further questions and challenges around the cultural and religious perspectives of many multicultural communities in Australia and COVID-19 objections need to be examined, discussed, and considered their standpoints toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Current religious objections to vaccines, especially ethical dilemmas and issues associated with human tissue cells utilised to create vaccines, and fear of the derivative of vaccines from chemicals of unknown compositions. For example, other religions, such as Catholicism, recognises vaccine value and importance in protecting individual and population health. Besides, Christians Scientists lack a formal policy against vaccines but rely on prayers for healing, and medical interventions that involve vaccines serve contrary and unnecessary.
This forum aims to discuss pre-existing social determinants of health or current risk factors and how they aggravate and increase mental health prevalence during and after the post-COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the panel will elucidate and shed light on the COVID-19 vaccine’s cultural perspectives stemming from religious standpoints, objections, suspicions, and mistrust of the vaccine among Australian Multicultural Communities. Also, examine strategies for the recovery process in COVID-19 post-pandemic crisis for the multicultural communities (in specific migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers).
The panel comprised Dr Charles, Dr Richard, and Dr Williams.
Questions (65minutes):
- What were the pre-existing risk factors or social determinants of health affecting multicultural communities before COVID-19? How do they affect the prevalence of mental health during and post COVID-19 pandemics? What do we do to close the gaps during COVID-19? (Dr. Charles) -20 minutes
- What are cultural and religious perspectives on the COVID-19 vaccine? Do you think the Australian Multicultural Communities have negative views about the COVID-19 vaccine? What would be the clergy’s role in encouraging the population to take up the COVID-19 vaccine? (Dr. Richard)- 20 minutes
- What are the current lessons learnt during COVID-19? How do these lessons inform strategies for the COVID-19 crisis recovery process? How would you advocate for the Victorian?
Government to facilitate multicultural communities’ COVID-19 crisis recovery process? (Dr. Williams)-20 minutes
- What are examples of clergy interventions suitable during and post COVID-19? (Dr. Richard) -5 minutes
