During this coronavirus pandemic we are hearing a lot about how are people going to handle loss of money to pay their bills and feed their families, how the economy might tank, and how the healthcare system is being overloaded. What we’re not hearing and what many people aren’t talking about is how this pandemic is impacting mental health.
Many states are rushing to meet the needs of the healthcare system and the federal government has been consumed with trying to manage the economy. Mental health isn’t an area of need that’s really been discussed. New York has been the only state to address mental health and acknowledge the mental toll this virus is going to have on people. New York Governor Cuomo has called on mental health professionals to volunteer their time to assist in setting up a network that offers free teleconference and video chat sessions to residents.
It’s understandable that the federal government and state governments are racing to contain the coronavirus and are trying to mitigate the impact it’s going to have on the economy but it’s also important that they consider the publics mental health needs. Could other states take a step like New York? What can state governments and the federal government do to address mental health? What can be done to raise more awareness around this issue?
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