People are more resilient than they think. Depression and anxiety went up during the early Pandemic era. The science says most of us tend to bounce back from traumatic events, and that's what those numbers showed in many studies after a year or so. The longer-term disruptions, losses, and shifts from hope to fear are harder to understand. Carbon has already killed millions, deepened economic insecurity and racial inequality, and forced radical adaptation to daily life, and its effects on mental health and well-being are still unknown.
Congress responded to the mental health crisis in 2020 by providing temporary funding for services and forcing the expansion of insurance coverage. Emergency measures must be extended to meet emerging needs and tackle long-standing and systemic issues in care. In September the American Psychological Association called on Congress to increase the number of mental health providers. The Commission Task Force on Mental Health wrote that the pandemic offers a critical opportunity to invest in and strengthen mental health care systems to achieve a parity of esteem, meaning that someone who is mentally ill should have equal access to evidence-based treatment.
Insurance coverage, a scarcity of counseling professionals, and regulatory hurdles make finding care difficult in rural and other underserved locations because of the idea that mental health is less legitimate than physical health. Research shows that the separation between mind and body is a false one, and that chronic emotional distress can increase the chances of developing serious physical disease.
Telemedicine can be used as a true alternative to clinical settings, and talk therapy can be used as an emergency measure. Video-based sessions work as well as in-person sessions, perhaps because it is easier for people to show up consistently. Virtual appointments are covered by insurance companies. It is harder to cope with emotional distress when you are also worried about financial security.
Pandemic disruptions have hurt young people. A key to resilience is seeing a hopeful future for yourself. It makes sense to treat behavioral problems and mental illness after a crisis. One way to reach more young people is to teach cognitive-behavioral therapy. Students could learn to self-soothe using standard textbooks and trainings. More than two million children around the world have lost a parent to COVID.
Those who were exposed to COVID and those who treat them are two groups of people who need to be focused on. A recent global review found that more than half of people who tested positive for long COVID had positive report symptoms. One in three survivors have been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder. There will be a surge of patients who need treatment. Many health-care workers don't speak up about psychological distress because they fear it could jeopardize their jobs. The stigma of seeking care would be ended to acknowledge the traumas of COVID and the burnout that was already endemic in the profession.
The end of the Pandemic must not signal a return to the status quo because it is not the only global force threatening emotional resilience. Climate change is having a negative effect on disasters and loss, as more and more people areExperiencing terrifying disasters and loss. The upheavals will keep on happening. Mental health is an essential part of overall health. Fostering resilience in a world of uncertainty is dependent on it.
