SUMMARY
Around the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared
the outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern [1] in late 2019 and early 2020.
Different health prevention measures were then put in place to contain the
spread of the virus. In the absence of vaccines, some of these measures
included social distancing, country-level lockdowns, and wearing masks
among others [2].
Rwanda was the first country in the region to implement a total lockdown
and other measures such as limiting social gatherings, closing universities
and schools, and restricting mass gatherings in places like churches
[3]. Even though these measures have helped to contain the spread and
avoid the collapse of health systems [4], such measures also came with
many drastic psychological changes in people’s lives. The impacts of
COVID-19 on mental health require intense interventions and measures
to mitigate the consequences on individuals, families, and communities.
