The Unseen Mental Health Crisis

In this covid pandemic, healthcare has taken the biggest hit. With hospitals flooded with groaning bodies and not enough masks or coffee to handle them. Where does that leave the COVID cohort of Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, janitors, and everyone in between? With a slew of mental health workers, a keen 31% of individuals, now rating positive for PTSD, the mental health crisis is clearly here. (NIMH 10/18/2020b)

Now, will these individuals see a recession of symptoms that most individuals do within 6 months post covid? That’s entirely dependent upon many variables: the individual’s predisposition to resilience, prior mental health struggles, previous childhood trauma, lack of social support, and the severity of the trauma. One self-care method that has been found to reduce stress is the Mindfulness-based approach: it involves highlighting the mind-body connection, yoga, mindfulness meditation, and body scanning. It has been shown to decrease stress levels and cardiovascular symptoms in healthy individuals and those with high stress and chronic pain like fibromyalgia. In this circumstance of healthcare workers in covid-19, self-care is imperative to deal with the stressors of working in the hospital setting. This would infer that even when COVID-19 is over that the benefits of MBSR would persist for healthcare workers. 

Other forms of self-care are ones we create for ourselves:

• Bubble baths.

• A luxury item such as a gourmet coffee or tea.

• Lighting a favorite candle while we read a favorite book.

• Getting a massage from a loved one with our favorite lotion.

While each individual may have their own preferences, OTOV makes an effort to support community members during difficult times. While we cannot offer psychological counseling, we did in December create boxes for nurses working in the hospitals. Each box was filled with a candle, lotion, a card, and a gift card for a nurse working through covid. 

It was a token of gratitude and intention that these everyday heroes take care of themselves during this trying time. If one should require additional services to reach out to a mental health expert: licensed psychologist, Licensed practitioner, or psychiatrist. If you’re in a pinch during covid, whether you’re a healthcare worker or not, here’s a list of hotlines to call for assistance. 

• Panic Disorder Information Hotline
  800- 64-PANIC

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline
  1-800-662-4357

• Help Finding a Therapist
  1-800-THERAPIST (1-800-843-7274)

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
  1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

• Gay & Lesbian Trevor HelpLine Suicide Prevention
  1-800-850-8078

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  1-800-273-8255

References:

PNL Harvard Medical School - PTSD

American Psychological Association - Mindfulness

American Board of Professional Psychology - The Specialist Volume 46, Summer 2020

Journal of Psychosomatic Research Volume 57, Issue 1, July 2004

Kristina Murphy

After earning her bachelor’s degree in global health and her master’s in applied behavioral analysis, Kristina spent 13 years working with people with special needs. Since then, she’s dabbled in creative writing, influenced by her background and her understanding of the human experience.

When she isn’t working, she practices her sewing and waits to go back to the gym for advanced weight-lifting sessions.