THE COVID-19 ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ECUADOR: IMPLICATIONS AND PROJECTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Abstract

This article, through an interdisciplinary methodology of a qualitative nature supported by quantitative indicators, analyses how factors of the economic crisis could affect the quality of life of the Ecuadorian population; objective enriched with the contributions of a descriptive methodology based on data collection from primary and secondary sources, and in sociological and psychoanalytic interpretations. With all this, the impacts in the field of mental health and safety are explored. First, the situation generated by the pandemic will be reviewed at a material level and related to the daily life of the population, through an analysis from the political economy. Next, the main problems generated by this crisis in the field of mental health will be pointed out and projections on its consequences will be presented. Transversally, possible scenarios in safety will be recognized. The objectives are to formulate a case study on COVID-19 that complements the analyses focused on health and economic studies, which at the same time, examines areas that are hardly tackled in the country. This document is expected to generate inputs that will help public policies in Ecuador to create anticipated responses to the present challenges of COVID-19 and its subsequent scenarios.