SowetanLive reports that while non-profit organisations (NPOs) have been working tirelessly during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide support, emergency relief and life-saving resources to struggling South Africans, the mental health of their workers has taken a battering.

A survey conducted among 200 NPOs between October 2020 and March this year by the SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) and Tshikululu Social Investments to assess the effect of the pandemic on their well-being, found alarming rates of psychological distress and risk for mental illness. “While NPO workers continue to provide crucial services for those deeply affected by Covid-19, they are still having to maintain their own needs — all within a context of limited resources, sustained exposure to social suffering, and novel pandemic conditions,” said Sadag. The survey found that two-thirds of NPO professionals exhibited moderate to severe psychological morbidity, with two-thirds also facing an elevated risk of developing a psychiatric disorder. More than a third of all NPO professionals were found to be exhibiting a high likelihood of having a severe psychiatric disorder by the time the survey was completed. Significant risk factors for elevated psychological morbidity included social stress and fewer workplace mental health resources. The survey found that men reported greater psychological distress than women. Nearly half of NPOs did offer some form of psychosocial support to their staff, yet many workers did not seek professional psychological assistance.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Suthentira Govender at SowetanLive

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