Be alert to dangerous mental health cues

At Healthnetwork Foundation, our mission is better medicine for all, which includes making referrals for major illness and facilitating philanthropy to advance medical research. Today, we share key components of a webinar on mental health issues in the time of COVID-19.

Never been this severe

In August and October 2020, the CDC released these statistics:

• 40% of US adults are struggling with mental health or substance use issues
• 31% increase in anxiety or depression symptoms
• 13% started or increased substance use
• 11% increase in people who seriously considered suicide
• 50% increase in domestic violence

This is the sharpest spike in mental health imbalance in recorded history.

Unhealthy coping

For the most part, humans are built to endure trauma, get through a crisis, and experience a sense of safety in which the body starts to self-regulate. But in this current crisis, we don’t have a timeline for that sense of safety. We have this open-ended, continuing crisis. Human beings are hardwired to emotionally regulate through connection with other people. That ability to coregulate has been disrupted. When normal coping mechanisms fail, people start to cope in unhealthy ways.

Now more than ever, it’s a good idea to check in with the people in your life regularly. A simple “Are you okay?” or “Is there anything I can do to support you in this moment?” can make a big difference.

When to worry

It’s time to worry—and seek help—when:

• Complaining turns to hopelessness
• Worrying turns to panic attacks, phobias, or dread
• Self-soothing turns to compulsive indulgence
• Irritability turns to uncontrolled anger
• Questioning crisis and policy turns to paranoia
• Mild mood swings turn to instability
• Changes in interests turn to abandonment of interests
• Changes in daily structure turn to lack of structure
• Increased time alone turns to psychological and physical isolation.

Mental health and productivity in the workplace

As an employer, you can develop a culture that destigmatizes mental health care by creating a nonjudgmental space for communication. If someone perceives they’re being critiqued for disclosing their struggles, that may prevent them from seeking solutions in the future.

Some ideas to improve office culture include:

• Have an open-door policy
• Initiate team-building activities or company-wide training on wellbeing/self-care
• Post information on mental health resources available to employees
• Implement a support-wheel phone list, in which Bob calls Bill to check in, and then Bill calls Andy, and so on.

Where to go for help

If you suspect that you, a loved one, or an employee may need mental health care, here are some resources:

• National Institute of Mental Health
• Your primary care physician
•  Healthnetwork Foundation: (866) 968-2467, (440) 0893-0830, or [email protected].

KAREN MARTIN is a writer for Healthnetwork. This article was written from a webinar hosted with Kelley Hattox, CADC-II, and Kara Ratte, CADC-CAS, CPC, from Doyen Consulting Group, a trusted health partner of Healthnetwork Foundation.

HEALTHNETWORK is a Legatus membership benefit, a health care “concierge service” that provides members and their families access to some of the most respected hospitals in the world. One Call Starts It All: (866) 968-2467 or (440) 893-0830. Email: [email protected]

HEALTHNETWORK FOUNDATION is a nonprofit whose mission is to improve medicine for all by connecting CEOs with leading hospitals and their doctors to provide the best access to world-class care and increase philanthropic funding for medical research.