CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
Spring 2020 Issue |
|
Psychiatry: A Response to COVID-19
By Adam Kaul, MD, DFAPA
PSV Past President
APA Assembly Representative
On a daily basis we are hearing news stories about the effect of COVID-19 on patients, families, healthcare systems, and businesses; the effects of the virus and our response have impacted almost all areas of our life. COVID-19 presents a major mental health crisis for the entire country. On March 20, the PSV Board, with assistance from the disaster committee, and with responses from the American Psychiatric Association, created a resource document for COVID-19 on its webpage. This document has resources for providers and for patients. Please access this document at https://www.psva.org/.
What should we be doing as psychiatrists?
First, and primary, take care of yourself. According to a JAMA survey, about half of the healthcare workers in Wuhan reported depression or anxiety symptoms. Keep yourself physically and mentally active, and appropriately rested. Stay engaged with your support system. Try to maintain a routine. Do not overwhelm yourself with news, media, or work. Do reach out to your colleagues and check in on them, and vice versa. We absolutely need to be working together.
Keep close contact with your patients and their support systems. Communicate how you are operating, and any changes that are occurring. This may mean changes in visitation in inpatient settings, or usage of telehealth in outpatient settings. Let them know how to get in touch with you and their resources, especially if there is an emergency. Review your emergency plans. Letting people know that we are here and able to help is a major factor in reduction of anxiety.
Monitor for anxiety and depression, and exacerbation of illness, in your patients. This can be challenging, as we also want to communicate that anxiety and loneliness often will be a “normal” response to the abnormal situation of the times. Encourage the same healthy practices of self-care: mental and physical activity, rest, interaction, communication. Be prepared for an increase in grief reactions and PTSD. Monitor family situations for domestic violence. Monitor for substance usage.
Be prepared for future challenges. An increase in mental health needs is here, and likely growing. How does your practice and system plan to address it? Physicians may be called into new areas of treatment within our system. This need will not likely be short-lived, and we will need to be prepared to address it for months, and possibly years, to come.
Lastly, give words of thanks to our colleagues in mental health, healthcare, service industries, production industries, and to everyone who is making changes and sacrifices to help fight this battle now and in the future. We are all in this together.
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