Episode 59: Practical Mental Health Tips in the Pandemic

UMSOM class of 2015 alum and psychiatrist Dr. Melissa Shepard sits down with Dr. Neda Frayha for some real talk on the mental health challenges facing health care workers in the COVID-19 pandemic, and some concrete, tangible tools to help us get through this period. Spoiler alert: it’s more than yoga. This conversation originally aired on Hippo Education's podcasts. 

Resources:

• Free mental health crisis line for physicians impacted by Covid-19 related issues, staffed by US Psychiatrists (support only, cannot prescribe medications). 1-888-409-0141. www.physiciansupportline.com 
• COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide. National Alliance on Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org/getattachment/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2020/NAMI-Updates-on-the-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Updated-Guide-1.pdf 
• Mental Health America, Mental Health And COVID-19 – Information And Resources
• Darnall B. The COVID-19 Wellness and Coping Toolkit: 11 Tips for Health Care Workers, Patients, and the Public. Psychology Today, 31 March 2020. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/empowered-relief/202003/the-covid-19-wellness-and-coping-toolkit   
• Good Therapy. https://www.goodtherapy.org 
• Psychology Today, Find a Therapist.
• Doxy.me Physician Support Line. https://doxy.me/physiciansupportline 
• Free access to Headspace Plus app (guided meditations) for healthcare professionals. https://www.headspace.com/health-covid-19
• Center for Mind-Body Medicine at Georgetown. Introduction to evidenced-based techniques for helping people through and after trauma (things like guided imagery, body scans, breathing techniques) https://cmbm.org/thetransformation/resources/

 

References:

Lai J, Ma S, Wang Y, et al. Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(3):e203976. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976

 

Chen QC, Liang M, Li Y, et al. Mental health care for medical staff in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 2020; 7(4):E15-16. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30078-X

 

Garfin DR, Silver RC, Holman EA. The novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure. Health Psychology. 2020 May;39(5): 355-357. Advance online publication. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000875

 

Rosenberg AR. Cultivating deliberate resilience during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. JAMA Pediatr. Published online April 14, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.1436

 

Galea S, Merchant RM, Lurie N. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and physical distancing: the need for prevention and early intervention. JAMA Intern Med. Published online April 10, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1562

 

Pfefferbaum B, North CS. Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic. N Engl J Med. Published online April 13, 2020. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2008017