The COVID-19 Crisis: A Mental Health Perspective and Response Using Telemedicine

Abstract

With the outbreak of COVID-19, patients and providers were forced to isolate and become innovative in ways to continue exceptional patient care. The Cleveland Clinic went from mostly in-person medical appointments to all virtual/telemedicine care in about 2 weeks’ time. In this piece, we show specifically the thought process and our conversion of the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Behavioral Medicine to ensure that our patients still receive exceptional care and patient experience. Additionally, we discuss the importance of innovating the training and supervision of postdoctoral trainees using telepsychology and virtual options.

Awareness, anxiety and coping regarding COVID-19 among South Indian population: web based cross sectional survey

“…For many people, anxiety is high as a result of the pandemic. 26,27 Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations. 23 These responses trigger the fight-or-flight response that motivates people to act in the primitive sense usually to run or fight.…”

Saúde mental de profissionais de enfermagem durante a pandemia de COVID-19: recursos de apoio

“…20 Based on meeting these needs, there is a strong mobilization of the part of health authorities, health agencies, experts from Brazilian universities and researchers to strengthen and facilitate access of health workers, including nurses, to these services, guidance, and technical and scientific recommendations to cope with challenging situations linked to the new context imposed by the pandemic. [20][21][22][23][24] In March 2020, the Brazilian Federal Council of Nursing (Cofen) created an uninterrupted service channel, managed by mental health specialized nurses, directed to all nursing workers requiring emotional support in this time of crisis. The service is provided through an online chat (available at the Cofen's website and hot site Juntos Contra Coronavírus [Together Against the Coronavirus]).…”

“…• Fear, regret, frustration, guilt, anger, exhaustion, uncertainty, moral distress, burnout, stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, denial, helplessness, feelings of vulnerability, and irritability; 17,20 • Appetite changes or disorders (lack of appetite or excessive appetite); 15,20 • Sleep changes or disorders (insomnia, difficult sleeping or excessive sleepiness, recurrent nightmares); 12,20 • Use of legal and illegal drugs. 20 Coping strategies/support resources ✓ Meet your basic needs: implement regular intervals to eat, hydrate and sleep to optimize your ability to self-care and care for others; 15,24 ✓ Avoid harmful habits -Watch for the abusive use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs to escape from anguish; 12,24 ✓ Respect your time: take breaks, allow yourself to do something unrelated to your work, and which you find comforting, fun, or relaxing. Resting activities, exercises, and relaxing practices are important allies against stress and anxiety; 12,24 ✓ Establish a work and self-care routine: try to perform pleasant and meaningful activities.…”

Pandemic forward: Lessons learned and expert perspectives on multiple sclerosis care in the COVID-19 era

“…Access to critical rehabilitative care such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy has also been disrupted, impacting the holistic approach to patient support. These changes to interactions with the MS care team have resulted in swift adaptations to patient care, including an increased reliance on telehealth and other services ( Sullivan et al., 2020 ).…”

“…It is therefore important to ensure that PwMS receive the physical and psychosocial care needed to see them safely through the pandemic ( Figure 1 ). Fortunately, telehealth services may be leveraged to fill the gap ( Sullivan et al., 2020 ) and could be an effective tool for rehabilitative and supportive MS care during the pandemic ( DeLuca et al., 2020 ). Additionally, racial and social disparities in the impact of COVID-19 in the US have become evident, with underserved and ethnic minority populations being disproportionately affected ( Webb Hooper et al., 2020 ).…”