The Union Health Ministry on Sunday issued guidelines stating that COVID-19 facilities should have a provision for psychiatric consultation in the wake of mental health concerns amid the pandemic.

The ministry further noted that there are at least three groups affected by pandemic-induced mental health issues.

These groups include people with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,  pre-existent patients with psychiatric disorders, and people with non-specific psychological distress, depression, stress symptoms, insomnia, hallucinations, paranoid and suicidal ideation.

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The ‘Guidelines on Managing Mental Illness in Hospital Settings during COVID-19’ states that COVID-19 facilities must have a separate mental health facility for consultation with a psychiatrist either in person or by teleconsultation.

It also says that at no point should any psychotropic medication be stopped abruptly without a psychiatrist’s advice, unless in case of a life-threatening emergency.

The guidelines include rules about COVID-19 precautions such as social distancing, use of PPE kits.

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However, “Staff has to be in close contact with some of the patients who are at risk of violence or suicidality and to keep a check on them frequently,” it states.

The document also mentions guidelines for the management of COVID-19 in special populations — elderly with mental illness, perinatal women with mental illness, children and adolescents with mental illness, substance use disorder (Alcohol) and substance use disorder (Tobacco).