While coronavirus pneumonia patients are mainly being treated for their physical ailments, Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, has also taken various measures to provide psychological assistance for patients who need them.

(Photo/Xinhua)

To date, the National Health Commission of China has sent over 300 psychological medical workers to Wuhan to ensure that patients’ mental health is also being attended to.

Facing the epidemic and the possibility of losing loved ones, pneumonia patients may feel anxious and lonely, and even suffer from insomnia and anorexia, which requires medical intervention, said Cheng Ming, a member of the national psychological team sent to Wuhan.

A recent survey conducted by the Wuhan No.1 Hospital on 226 pneumonia patients suggests that 26.4 percent suffered from moderate or severe insomnia and 10.5 percent are under moderate or serious pressure.

“We mainly talk with the patients about their problems by phone or WeChat, and sometimes face to face to those with serious problems,” said Cheng.

To help the patients protect their mental health, the Wuhan No.1 Hospital, together with other medical teams from around China, established a special hospital that provides assistance for patients suffering mental crises and sleep disorders.

The mental intervention group under the hospital checks and evaluates the mental status of the patients on a regular basis and provides intervention for those with serious insomnia and depression. It has so far evaluated more than 500 patients and intervened in over 100 people by phone and WeChat.