新冠肺炎疫情或對全球心理健康造成“普遍”影響

居家隔離、保持社交距離……新冠肺炎疫情的暴發以及隨後的封鎖措施使全球數十億人焦慮情緒加劇，或將對全球心理健康造成“嚴重的普遍性影響”。

The coronavirus pandemic is likely to have a "profound and pervasive impact" on global mental health as billions struggle to cope with isolated living and anxiety spikes, experts warned Thursday.

專家在上週四（4月16日）警告說，當前有數十億民衆苦於應對隔離生活以及焦慮情緒加劇等問題，新冠肺炎疫情很可能對全球心理健康造成“嚴重的普遍性影響”。

In a paper published in Lancet Psychiatry, a panel of 24 specialists call for more funding for research into the impacts COVID-19 may have on society's mental well-being.

在發表於英國《柳葉刀·精神病學》期刊上的研究文章中，由24名專家組成的研究小組呼籲增加資金，以研究新冠肺炎可能給社會心理健康造成的影響。

Two accompanying surveys of the British public showed that most people questioned had experienced heightened anxiety and fear of becoming mentally unwell since the pandemic struck.

文章附有兩項對英國民衆進行的調查，結果顯示，自從疫情暴發以來，大多數受訪者出現過焦慮情緒加劇以及擔心出現心理問題等狀況。

"We are all dealing with uNPRecedented uncertainty and major changes to the way we live our lives as a result of coronavirus," said lead author Emily Holmes from Uppsala University's department of psychology.

文章的主要作者、瑞典烏普薩拉大學心理學系的埃米莉·霍姆斯說：“由於新冠病毒的出現，我們都在應對前所未有的不確定性，以及生活方式的重大變化。”

"Our surveys show these changes are already having a considerable impact on our mental health."

“我們的調查顯示，這些變化已經對我們的心理健康產生了很大影響。”

The authors called for real-time monitoring of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide across the world, as well as the creation of treatment programs that can be accessed remotely.

該文的作者呼籲在全球範圍內實時監控焦慮症、抑鬱症、自殘行爲和自殺行爲等，並建立遠程治療項目。

"This needs to be on a bigger scale than we have ever seen previously, and must be coordinated, targeted and comprehensive," said Matthew Hotopf, from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

英國倫敦大學國王學院神經病學、心理學和神經學研究所的馬修·霍託普夫說：“相關心理治療的規模需要超過以往水平，還必須相互協調、具有針對性和全面性。”

"Above all, we want to stress that all new interventions must be informed by top notch research to make sure they work."

“我們尤其想要強調的是，所有新的干預措施都必須來自一流的研究，以確保能夠發揮作用。”

top notch：拔尖的，出衆的

Studies into the mental health impact of previous disease outbreaks, such as the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, showed a clear increase in suicide rates and the number of health care workers who experience emotional distress.

針對過往疫情（如本世紀初暴發的非典疫情）心理健康影響的結果顯示，在此期間，自殺率明顯上升，出現情緒困擾的醫護人員數量也明顯增加。

But the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic is uNPRecedented, with billions of people forced to isolate at home and no end in sight even after social distancing measures are eased.

而新冠肺炎疫情造成的影響前所未有，數十億民衆被迫居家隔離，即使保持社交距離的措施放鬆，也看不到結束的跡象。

The surveys, conducted among more than 3,000 people in Britain, showed a wide range of fears arising from the pandemic.

這兩項對3000多名英國人開展的調查顯示，此次新冠肺炎疫情引發了十分普遍的憂慮情緒。

These include increased anxiety, the effects of social isolation, the fear of becoming mentally unwell and accessing care if needed.

這些負面情緒包括焦慮加劇、社會隔離造成的心理影響、擔心出現心理問題，以及擔憂在需要時是否得到護理等。

The experts cautioned that these symptoms were likely to continue well in to the future, even after the current round of lockdowns are eased.

專家警告說，這些症狀很可能延續很久，即便本輪封鎖放鬆後也會存在。

The authors called for government funding to establish specialised working groups comprised of people with experience of mental health impacts to ensure research and treatment are prioritised.

文章的幾位作者呼籲政府資助建立由有心理健康干預經驗的人組成的專門工作組，以確保研究和治療得到優先考慮。

"Increased social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress and an economic downturn are a perfect storm to harm people's mental health and wellbeing," said Rory O'Connor, professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow.

英國格拉斯哥大學健康心理學教授羅裏·奧康納說：“社會隔離增加、孤獨感、爲健康焦慮、精神壓力以及經濟下滑會嚴重損害人們的心理健康。”

He said that a lack of intervention risked an explosion of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as a rise in alcohol and drug addiction.

他說，缺乏干預或將導致焦慮和抑鬱等心理健康問題激增，還會導致酗酒和毒癮等問題增多。

"The scale of this problem is too serious to ignore, both in terms of every human life that may be affected, and in terms of the wider impact on society."

奧康納說：“這個問題極爲嚴重，不容忽視。不僅個人生活可能受到影響，還會對社會造成更廣泛的影響。”