Introduction/ Opening Literature

As the world embraced the news of the global pandemic with the breakout of COVID-19,
unexpected lockdown measures were imposed to almost every city in every country worldwide
to preserve the spread of this virus. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of
being affected with the virus and the virtual inadequacy of global healthcare systems in
inhibition and administration of the virus at the nationwide measure can generate significant
anxiety and stern mental health issues particularly among disposed persons (Deena Dimple
Dsouza, 2020). The most commonly observed psychological indicators show that people are
scared of getting sick or dying, the feeling of help-lessness is increasing among people followed
by depression, anxiety, isolation, and stigma (Khan, Mamun, Griffiths, & Ullah, 2020). This fear
and mental health distortion are not only limited to the general population who had undergo self-
quarantine. One of the most exposed population are the healthcare workers, fighting at the
frontline and trying to contain the spread of the virus. Healthcare workers who work in intensive
care units, emergency departments, and remoteness wards are at greater risk of developing
mental breakdowns encompassing severe exhaustion, insomnia, health concerns, and fear of
contact with COVID-19 patients compared to those in other medical departments (Ho, Chee, &
Ho, 2020). To help tackle this situation there needs to vast amount of accessible data. Data from
health information systems are a crucial component of any country’s response since it is needed
to create models that can predict future course of the mental health of the general population as
well as health care workers in this pandemic(Shiffman, 2020). In low income or middle-income
countries, it is found that their national healthcare is ineffectively developed which makes it hard
to monitor the course of mental health issues during pandemic in these locations. It has been
found that there is a large discrepancy in the competences of national health information systems
to respond to COVID-19 in these countries. Although some are strong, yet other nations have
very weak health information systems, which makes it tough to stop the spread of the
virus(Shiffman, 2020). One reason for health information systems to be weaker in certain
countries is because this may be the unintended effects of global health metrics initiatives that
use imputation methods to estimate disease burden in low-income settings (Shiffman & Shawar,
2020). Health ministries in some countries and statistical agencies in low-income countries may
decide that it’s just not worth investing extensively in their own information systems if estimates
are already being produced globally by organizations using massive computer power as it is
costly to develop these statistics locally (Shiffman & Shawar, 2020). Apart from this there are
thousands of mental health apps available in iTunes and Android app stores, and the number is
growing every year ("Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment," 2019) . Although
there are great opportunities, but it also elevates a number of concerns. To ensure that these apps
provide benefits instead of causing any harm, it is necessary to focus on effectiveness, privacy,
guidance, regulations, overselling and other notable issues like, “for whom and for what”
("Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment," 2019). Research shows that poor
people living in the streets already suffer from chronic mental and health conditions together
with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Compared to general people, who are aware of the
virus, these people are more expected to indulge in drug abuse, sharing needles that make them
more vulnerable towards infections including COVID-19 (Tsai & Wilson, 2020). This paper
explores the mental health problem across different groups such as the general population,
healthcare workers, university and college students, schoolchildren and other vulnerable groups
during COVID-19 global pandemic and the use of technology to preserve it.

Research Questionnaire
1. Who are more prone to a psychological battle when it comes to COVID-19 global pandemic?
2. Which countries are currently equipped with healthcare information system and how does it
help them?
3. Why are low-income and middle-income nations lacking proper healthcare information
system?
4. What other alternatives are present apart from a national health information system?
5. What can the government in low-income and middle-income nations do to overcome the gap
created by the lack of use of modern technology to preserve healthcare data?
6. Is there any literature gap in papers published so far?

References
Deena Dimple Dsouza, S. Q., Zainab Juzer Hyderabadwala, Mohammed A. Mamun. (2020). Aggregated
COVID-19 suicide incidences in India: Fear of COVID-19 infection is the prominent causative
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Ho, C. S., Chee, C. Y., & Ho, R. C. (2020). Mental health strategies to combat the psychological impact of
COVID-19 beyond paranoia and panic. Ann Acad Med Singapore, 49(1), 1-3.
Khan, K. S., Mamun, M. A., Griffiths, M. D., & Ullah, I. (2020). The Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19
Pandemic Across Different Cohorts. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
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Shiffman, J. (Producer). (2020). THE ROLE OF NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN THE
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Shiffman, J., & Shawar, Y. R. (2020). Strengthening accountability of the global health metrics enterprise.
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Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment. (2019, September). National Institute of Mental
Health Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-the-future-of-
mental-health-treatment/index.shtml#part_152631
Tsai, J., & Wilson, M. (2020). COVID-19: a potential public health problem for homeless populations. The
Lancet Public Health, 5(4), e186-e187.