United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging governments, civil society, and health authorities to urgently address mental health needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, warning that psychological suffering is increasing. He pointed to "grief at the loss of loved ones, shock at the loss of jobs, isolation, and restrictions on movement, difficult family dynamics, and uncertainty and fear for the future." The UN chief said in a video message late Wednesday launching a policy briefing that "after decades of neglect and under-investment in mental health services, the COVID-19 pandemic is now hitting families and communities with additional mental stress." Guterres said those most at risk and in need of help are front-line health care workers, older people, adolescents, young people, those with pre-existing mental health conditions, and those caught up in conflict and crisis. He said "mental health services are an essential part of all government responses to COVID-19" and must be expanded and fully funded. "Even when the pandemic is brought under control, grief, anxiety, and depression will continue to affect people and communities," he said. The UN brief highlighted the mental strains on people fearing that they or loved ones will be infected or die from the novel coronavirus, which has killed nearly 300,000 people worldwide since it first emerged in China late last year. It also pointed to the psychological impact on vast numbers of people who have lost or are at risk of losing their livelihoods, have been separated from loved ones, or have suffered under drastic lockdown orders. "We know that the current situations, the fear, and uncertainty, the economic turmoil -- they all cause or could cause psychological distress," Devora Kestel, head of the World Health Organizations mental health and substance use department, told a virtual briefing. Health care workers and first responders -- operating under "tremendous stress" -- are particularly vulnerable, Kestel said, pointing to news reports indicating rises in suicides among medical workers. A whole host of other groups also face particular psychological challenges brought on by the crisis. Children being kept out of school, for instance, face uncertainty and anxiety. Along with women, they also face a heightened risk of domestic abuse as people spend lengthy amounts of time cooped up at home. The elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, who are considered particularly at risk from the virus, meanwhile face increased stress over the threat of infection. And people with pre-existing psychological issues could see them exacerbated, while accessing their usual treatment and face-to-face therapy may no longer be possible. Thursdays policy brief pointed to a range of national studies indicating that mental distress is mounting rapidly. One study conducted in the Amhara region of Ethiopia showed that 33 percent of the population were suffering from depression-linked symptoms -- "a three-fold increase" from before the pandemic. Other studies indicated that mental distress prevalence amid the crisis was as high as 60 percent in Iran and 45 percent in the United States, Kestel said. She also pointed to a Canadian study showing nearly half of health care workers said they needed psychological support. The UN brief stressed the need for countries to include access to psychosocial support and emergency mental care in all aspects of their response to the pandemic. It called for a significant hike in investments in this area, pointing out that before the crisis, countries on average dedicated only two percent of their public health budgets to mental health support. -Pandemic exacerbate poverty- The United Nations is forecasting that the coronavirus pandemic will shrink the world economy by 3.2% this year, the sharpest contraction since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The UN´s mid-year report released Wednesday said COVID-19 is expected to slash global economic output by nearly $8.5 trillion over the next two years, wiping out nearly all gains of the past four years. In January, the UN forecast a modest growth of 2.5 percent in 2020. The United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects report said the pandemic is also "exacerbating poverty and inequality," with an estimated 34.3 million people likely to fall below the extreme poverty line in 2020 - 56 percent of them in Africa. It said an additional 130 million people may join the ranks of people living in extreme poverty by 2030, dealing a "huge blow" to global efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by the end of the decade.