Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges And Responses Of Psychologists From India by Leister Sam S. Manickam - HTML preview

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INDIAN ACADEMY OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY (IAAP): VOCAL VOICE ON LOCAL TO GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES.

DR. NOVRATTAN SHARMA

Professor of Psychology

M D University, Rohtak and Secretary IAAP.

Indian Academy of Applied Psychology (IAAP) is the largest body of Psychologists in India which is continuously active since its inception in 1962 at the Presidency College, Chennai. It has been serving the society through various academic, professional and extension activities across the country.  The important objectives of IAAP (2020) are:

a) To promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of Psychology and to promote the efficiency and usefulness of its members by setting up a high standard of professional education and knowledge.

b) To arrange, provide for, or join in arranging and providing for the holding of conference, regional, national (or international), exhibitions, meetings, lectures, classes and discussions on subjects of general and special interests in Psychology, and also for the exhibition of any new, improved, or other apparatus for Psychological Research.

c) To cooperate with academic, professional and other bodies in the advancement of Psychology and other sciences.

d) To prepare, edit, print, publish, issue and circulate gratuitously or otherwise and to sell, lend, issue and distribute gratuitously or otherwise any papers, treatises, books, pamphlets, leaflets or communications made to the academy or documents relating to psychology and any reports of the proceedings and accounts of the academy, and for this purpose to cause translations to be made of any such papers, treatises or communications as shall be in a foreign language and to illustrate any of the publications as the academy may thing expedient in connection with the objects of the academy or any of them.

e) To undertake research projects and publish independently of and/in co-operations with other official and non-official organizations devoted to national development.

f) To obtain, collect and receive money and funds by way of contributions, donations, subscriptions, legacies, grants or any other lawful methods, and (subject to the provision of the said section) to accept and receive gifts of property of any description (whether subject to any special trusts or not) for or towards the objects of the academy or any of them, and to administer such funds and property.

g) To keep a register of members, their qualifications and appointments. Divisions under this academy may be organized to represent major scientific and professional interests that lie within the academy.

h) To do all such other things as may be incidental or conducive to the appointment of the subjects.

To respond to COVID-19 in India, IAAP has identified the following issues of concern: 

1. Physical and Mental Wellbeing of Corona Warriors:  From doctors to nurses to police personnel to other essential service providers have been experiencing physical as well as mental strain. Identified problems among them are fear of getting the infection and infecting their loved ones, working overtime and working with inadequate protection measures. Psychologically they have increased experience of negative emotions, frustration, insomnia, depression, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, denial, anger, fear and exhaustion. These problems are in turn affecting their attention, work productivity and decision making capacity.

2. Psychological Wellbeing of Close Relatives of Corona Warriors: Family members of corona warriors experience stress, anxiety, depression, stigma and discrimination in society due to their possible exposure to COVID-19. They also have worries about their family members providing essential services getting infected with the virus.

3. Mental Health Problems Faced by Population in General: People in general are also experiencing physical as well as psychological problems. The following were identified as reasons for experiencing the same: lack of adequate information, fake news, miscommunication through social media, low Socio Economic Status (SES), interpersonal conflicts, excess use of social media, lack of social support, unemployment. Increased instances of anxiety, substance abuse, loneliness, domestic violence and child abuse has been found. Excess use of internet/ gaming/social media during lockdown was observed that can lead to restricted physical activity, cyber bullying and may also cause internet addiction disorder.

4. Problems Faced by Vulnerable Population: Vulnerable population include old people, children, women, and migrant population. IAAP is committed to working on the problems faced by the vulnerable population and promoting their mental health.

5. Mental Health of COVID-19 Patients: Higher prevalence of mental health problems among COVID-19 patients like depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, tension, suicidal thoughts are experienced. Even after recovery from infection, they have reported experience of stigmatization and rejection by the people in the neighbourhood.

IAAP is extensively working on the applicable solutions to the identified issues:

1. Organizing webinars: IAAP has been conducting webinars for knowledge dissemination and expert opinions are being shared to young psychologists.
2. Innovative use of online platforms: IAAP proposes to use online platforms like social media to reach out to the people. COVID-19 awareness generation events can be organized on social media to enhance their reach. Also, free content can be provided online like videos (educating children about protective health care measures during COVID-19) and scholarly articles on topics like hardiness, mind-body relationship, effect of breathing and relaxation on body, how to make work from home, more productive and establishing work-life balance. Self-help manuals can be provided online on a dedicated website/platform for dealing with psychological problems faced by people. However, the authenticity and quality need to be assured and they need to be regulated by experts as per the ethical guidelines. 
3. Widespread publicity of psychological services: IAAP recognizes this to be a critical factor as it would increase accessibility to psychological services and will also help remove the stigma of mental health problems.
4. Creating an online platform to acknowledge problems/queries and promoting action-based research on them: A dedicated online platform can be created where people can report problems faced by them and a committee can be assigned to respond to those problems. Hence, IAAP proposes action-based research/fundamental research.  
5. Broadcasting real life experiences of people: Broadcasting real life experiences of people who overcame mental health problems can be done with their consent. It can be used for observational learning.
6. Need for more empirical evidence: More empirical evidence on impact of COVID-19 are needed. Moreover, collaborative research efforts and knowledge sharing is the need of the hour. IAAP finds it important to develop psychological tools especially designed to assess mental health problems during pandemic as the validity of tools designed in normal times is questionable.
7. Resource centre for psychological tests: Different universities and institutions develop and standardize psychological tests but they usually do not get shared and sometimes are not even known. Hence, IAAP proposes establishment of Resource Centre for Psychological Tests where all these newly developed tests can be submitted and after quality check by a dedicated committee those can be popularized nationally as well as internationally.
8. National Institute of Importance in Psychology: Just like other national important science institutes, there is a felt need of establishing an institute of psychology which is of national importance (Manickam, 2016a). Young psychologists can be imparted with skills and specialized training can be provided. In addition, research on psychosocial issues prevalent in India can be taken up which can help the government in policy making.
9. Formation of FIPA (Federation of Indian Psychological Associations):  It is the need of the hour which can serve as an apex association regulating and supervising the work of other psychological associations in India. Three major associations namely - Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP), National Academy of Psychologists (NAOP) and IAAP have come together on several occasions in the past few years to work out the modalities on FIPA (Manickam, 2016b). A coordination committee of the office bearers of the three organisations was constituted to further work on the agenda. This will help to collaboratively respond to COVID-19 by providing psychological services to the larger population, reaching out to the grass root level, integrated research and knowledge and experience sharing platforms of various associations. 
10. Psychological Council of India (PCI) - PCI may be constituted by the Government of India on the pattern of RCI helping psychologists in India to get legal standing through registration.
11. National disaster management authority (NMDA) has prepared disaster management guidelines but psychosocial support is yet to be given priority by them. Hence, IAAP proposes to give due priority for psychosocial support and service during disaster management. 
12. Community based Psychological First Aid to reduce fear, anxiety, worries and trauma due to any pandemic like COVID 19 may be taken up by the existing departments of psychology in various colleges and universities across the country.
13. A special journal issue on COVID-19 is planned and we have solicited articles for our journal, Indian Journal of Applied Psychology.
14. IAAP is gearing up at all its fronts to identify local/ regional issues with the scientific assessment of global standards by raising the voice in a very vocal manner at appropriate academic, professional, scientific, constitutional, political platforms for seeking and ensuring the well-deserved positive status of Psychology in teaching, research and applications. 

References:

Indian Academy of Applied Psychology (2020) Current News  https://www.iaap.org.in/

Manickam, L. S. S. (2016a). Challenges of professionalizing psychology in India:   Where do we go from here? Indian Journal of Psychology, Centennial issue. 243-252.

Manickam, L. S. S. (2016b). Towards formation of Indian Federation of Psychology    Associations: Let us wake up for our causes.  Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied     Psychology, 42,1, 40-52.