Pandemic Preparedness: How Can Mental Health

Why should pandemic preparedness include mental health?

WHO's March 2024 appeal for an international pandemic agreement emphasized preventing another health emergency from overwhelming societies. The World Health Assembly subsequently adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025. These are historical milestones, and the practical preparedness challenge extends beyond infection control: communities also need the capacity to recognize psychological distress and provide appropriate care. [WHO's original appeal](https://www.who.int/news/item/20-03-2024-call-for-urgent-agreement-on-international-deal-to-prepare-for-and-prevent-future-pandemics), [WHO agreement adoption announcement](https://www.paho.org/en/news/20-5-2025-world-health-assembly-adopts-historic-pandemic-agreement-make-world-more-equitable).

A modeling study published in The Lancet in 2021 estimated that the pandemic increased the global prevalence of major depressive disorder by approximately 28% and anxiety disorders by approximately 26% during 2020, compared with estimated levels without the pandemic. These were relative increases, not the percentages of the population affected. The estimates combined available studies with statistical modeling; they were not a worldwide count of confirmed diagnoses. They describe the pandemic's first year and should not be treated as measurements of mental health today. [COVID-19 Mental Disorders Collaborators](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34634250/).

What should a pandemic mental health plan provide?

A WHO survey conducted from June to August 2020 found that 93% of 130 participating countries reported disruption or interruption of services for mental, neurological or substance use conditions. That figure describes countries reporting service problems; it does not mean that 93% of patients lost treatment or that every service closed. Nevertheless, it identifies a central vulnerability: a rise in demand can coincide with reduced access to counseling, medicines and emergency assessment. [WHO service disruption survey](https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-in-most-countries-who-survey).

WHO recommends integrating mental health and psychosocial support throughout public health emergency preparedness and response. For service planners, this points to practical arrangements made before an outbreak: named referral contacts, continuity of prescribed treatment, trained community staff and routes to specialist care. Telephone or video consultations can help maintain contact, but access plans also need to accommodate people without reliable internet or a private place to talk. Funding and staffing determine whether these arrangements become available care. [WHO preparedness recommendations](https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-mental-health-cannot-be-made-light-of).

When should someone seek mental health support?

Fear, disrupted sleep and sadness can occur during an outbreak without necessarily indicating a psychiatric disorder. Assessment becomes important when symptoms are severe, persistent or impair everyday functioning. The US National Institute of Mental Health advises seeking professional help for severe or distressing symptoms lasting two weeks or longer, including loss of interest, difficulty concentrating or inability to complete usual activities. This is guidance for seeking help, not a requirement to wait when someone is deteriorating. [NIMH guidance](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health).

Regular sleep, physical activity and supportive relationships can help people manage stress, alongside treatment when needed. Persistent or disabling symptoms warrant clinical assessment. Thoughts of suicide or urges to self-harm require immediate support; someone in immediate danger should contact local emergency services or attend the nearest emergency department. Pandemic plans need to make these routes easy to find and keep them available during service disruption. [NIMH help-seeking guidance](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/my-mental-health-do-i-need-help).