Concerned for the mental health of the people of Oslo – VG

– There are several things that make the situation more difficult in Oslo: unemployment has risen more here than in the rest of the country, many of our inhabitants live alone, we have many students who have been isolated and some with minority backgrounds live in families numerous. Small space. If you combine this with a pandemic, we have many factors that negatively affect mental health, says Oslo Health Councilor Robert Steen (Labor).

If a vaccine arrives in Norway in December, it will first go to a nursing home in the Oslo area in particular, Prime Minister Erna Solberg confirmed. The reason for this is practical: there are very few doses to divide in all municipalities.

– But it is important to remember that this does not end with what we wear with vaccines. Then the repair work begins. In the case of mental problems, there is a delay, which is not the case for physical injuries, Steen says, and it sends a signal to the government that financial “crown packages” for mental health are needed even after the pandemic. has been suffocated.

Most unemployed

When the company closed in March, unemployment rose sharply. Since then, unemployment has fallen, until it rose again in November. And Oslo had the largest percentage increase, with 24% more unemployed in November than at the end of October.

Oslo has the highest proportion of total unemployed in the country at 5.8 percent.

– Experiencing that suddenly you have nothing to defend, and that there is no need for you, can have a huge impact on mental health, says Robert Steen.

It is especially workers under 30 years of age who have been affected by unemployment. He is also concerned about families with minority backgrounds, who may depend on the only income that is no longer coming in.

– We are also a city with many students. Many of them have expressed that it has been difficult to be isolated in a new city.

– Oslo also has up to 40 percent single households, so there are many who feel lonely right now, he says.

Double load

The relatives of the sick and disabled are another group that worries the health council these days.

– This is something I know a lot about even after living much of my life as a relative, says Robert Steen.

He is the son of the well-known Labor politician Reiulf Steen, who struggled with alcoholism and depression. And last year she told NRK about her son Mats (25), who had Duchennes muscle disease and died in 2014.

Mats was sitting in a wheelchair and rarely went out with people. He spent most of his time in front of the computer screen and the game “World of Warcraft”, but after his death it turned out that what his parents thought was a lonely life, had been something completely different.

Read the story of the death of Robert Steen and his son on VG + here:

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– I think a lot about what it would be like if Mats had lived through this pandemic, says Steen.

– We had been constantly terrified, because if he had been infected, the result would probably have occurred: he probably would not have survived.

– The fear that the relatives now have is enormous. Both so that the person you are caring for becomes infected and for you to be infected, so that you can no longer function as a caregiver. Additionally, many have received an extra-large burden because offers of help are fewer, Steen says.

He fears that many will go crazy.

– They are people who bite their teeth and do not have the energy or the opportunity to participate in public debate. But here we can see some frightening statistics in hindsight.

The health council believes that it may appear that people are struggling more now than in the first wave of the pandemic.

– After so many months, the long-term effects are getting worse. Fortunately, we have become a more open society, where it is okay to talk about mental health issues.

Mental Health, Church SOS, Red Cross and Mental Health Youth all have low threshold services for those who need someone to talk to.

Huge progress

– All the helplines have been in huge demand during the crown period, and all report that there are longer and more serious conversations, says Ellen Kobro, who is leader of the section responsible for Mental Health and Addictions in the health service in Oslo.

– We do not know how this will play out in the long term, so we must follow closely. There’s no question that a lot of people are having a hard time, and now Christmas is approaching, while soup kitchens and other low-threshold deals are closed, he says.

– The second wave is worse

Kobro notes that in Oslo there is a big difference between the first round crown in March-April and how it is now.

– Even though it was dramatic with the closing, then it went into summer and the brighter times. Now it’s dark and sad and people are tired of it being so long. Fortunately, municipal services are now more open and many have found new ways of working there.

– What can we do to help those who are struggling mentally?

– Many voluntary organizations have tasks for those who want to help, for example, the Volunteer Center has gone from visiting friends to calling friends. But simply calling someone you haven’t talked to in a long time or smiling at someone on the street can help. It doesn’t solve the problems of those who need medical attention, but kindness always helps, says health advisor Robert Steen

– These little things are perhaps more important than they have ever been in our life.

Do you need someone to talk to?

Mental health can be contacted on the phone 116123 and the answering service Sidetmedord.no

Kirkens SOS You can call 22 40 00 40.

Cross on the neck is the Red Cross website for those under 18 years of age.

The Mental Health Council has created this overview through helplines and websites.