Why are you involved in Altea's Expert Board?
Every illness influences mental health. Mental health in turn influences the illness. This important and fascinating interaction can also be observed with the coronavirus and Long COVID and could potentially support those affected. This is precisely why it is so vital that the psychological aspects are also considered in connection with the virus. I would like to bring this aspect of things to the Altea Expert Board.
"The less you know about something, the more difficult it is to understand. This is the sticking point with Long COVID."
What is your professional relationship to Long COVID?
As the project initiator of the platform dureschnufe.ch, I have been very involved with the subject of Covid and its influence on mental health since the outbreak of the pandemic. Long COVID has also received increased attention over time.
Our focus is not just on the psychopathology, i.e. the psychology at the symptom level, but also at the health-promoting level. This includes health psychological questions, such as "What resources are available" or "What are the stress factors"?
The aim of dureschnufe.ch is to make the existing offers visible. There are already numerous offers, but they are not (always) found. Consequently, we have set ourselves the task of bundling these offers and providing practical tips, "first level support", so to speak, which refers people to the right bodies.
Ronia Schiftan, health psychologist (Source: Remo Ubezio, 2021)
What is your experience with Long COVID so far?
Discussions and questions concerning Long COVID are now part of everyday life, both in a professional and personal sphere. What we have determined is that it is the vague, intangible things that make people feel uneasy. We are contacted by those affected, who are having difficulty handling the illness. This is precisely the problem from a psychological viewpoint. The less you know about something, the more difficult it is to understand. Long COVID has a wide range of symptoms and unknown parameters. How long it lasts is unknown. There aren't many comparative cases and prognoses are difficult. This is tiring and makes people nervous.
Sometimes we also get letters from people who are not directly affected but are afraid of catching Long COVID or are worried about their relatives.
"I don't want Long COVID to be stigmatized."
How do you see the future with regards to Long COVID?
As things currently stand, we can expect Long COVID to be with us for quite some time. This makes it all the more important that society begins to discuss how those affected can be helped and taken seriously. This also includes how sufferers can learn to deal with the uncertainty.
Mental health is highly stigmatized. I would like to see that Long COVID is not stigmatized and that we as a society are able to deal with the issue in a mindful and sensitive way - like with any other illness.
Fun and games with the young family at home. (Source: private, 2021)
What are you enthusiastic about as a private person?
I'm the mom of an almost two-year old boy and live in Bern. I can get enthusiastic about lots of things, and I let my creativity have free rein. What I love most is spending time in second-hand shops and refurnishing my flat or that of friends - many of my friends have become spontaneous helpers when a new piece of furniture had to be moved.
Ronia Schiftan has a Master of Science in Applied Psychology and is a trained nutritional psychologist ZEP (Zertifikat Ernährungspsychologie [Certificate in Nutritional Psychology]). She is the project initiator of dureschnufe.ch, a platform for mental health related to the coronavirus. It contains tips, ideas and addresses where you can find help.
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