May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and while caring for our mental wellbeing is always important, it is particularly so now, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is mental health awareness? Dr. Martha Crowther, a clinical psychologist at University Medical Center, said it’s about “making sure the public understands the importance of thinking about not just your physical health, but how well you think and process information, how you feel emotionally, and that if there’s something wrong there are resources you can seek out for help.”
Crowther is also associate dean for research and health policy for The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences and researcher with its Institute for Rural Health Research. The College operates UMC.
Why is awareness important? Do people not recognize that other folks might have mental health issues?
“Yes, it’s a huge problem,” Crowther said. “Part of it is the stigma that we have in this country related to mental health.” She said when people hear the term mental health, they think it means someone is falling apart, that they can’t function, think or process information, and that they can’t regulate their emotions. What mental health means is that we want people to be able to function optimally, Crowther said. “If you get stressed and overwhelmed, that makes your anxiety level increase and you can’t remember how to function as effectively as you’d like. These are things you can receive help for from a mental health professional.”
How do people know the difference between being anxious and being depressed?
Crowther said when someone is anxious, typically their hearts and thoughts race and they just feel out of sorts. She said when people are depressed it’s almost the opposite – things typically slow down, people talk about feeling sad or blue and they have difficulty concentrating or focusing on tasks.
With COVID-19, are there groups that are at higher risk for an increase in mental health issues?
Crowther said probably all groups of people are currently at risk for having mental health issues, but those issues will vary by group. She said working parents might find it difficult to balance working – from home or outside the home – and home schooling their children. “How do you manage those two competing demands at a time when everyone is home so that you’re not yelling at your children all the time or you’re not showing up to meetings late. This has created a tremendous anxiety for working parents.”
Adolescents are another group having a difficult time, particularly with social isolation, Crowther said. “This is the time when you (adolescents) hang out a lot with your friends,” she said. They do have FaceTime and other ways to communicate, “but there’s something about getting together, and they’ve had a difficult time managing that,” she said.
Crowther said older adults are also finding social isolation challenging. They might be retired or not working, and because of stay-at-home orders, they aren’t able to have family members over and they’re not able to get out and socialize like they used to, she said.
This has been a particularly difficult time for those who work in nursing homes “because the virus has spread so rapidly there,” she said.
How can parents get through to a child who has shut down and isn’t opening up?
Crowther said the first approach, depending upon the age of the child, is to communicate and have an open and honest discussion. Let children know that “we really are in unchartered waters, all of us.” She added that “maybe the child has been inside too much, so go outside with the child and find ways to increase pleasant and physical activities. Have children Facetime with (their friends) and engage in other ways so that they can see each other’s faces and hear each other’s voices, even if it’s only for five minutes.” She said parents can also reach out to mental health professionals who can come up with more specific strategies.
When this is all over, do you see adolescents having a greater appreciation for not being engrossed in their (cell) phones?
“I think they’ll have a great appreciation for relationships. I think we’re past them not being connected to technology because that’s such a huge part of how they function. But I do think they’ll have a healthier appreciation for just being together and making that time special and engaging,” Crowther said.
Have you seen any online bullying as a response to being shut in?
Crowther said she hasn’t seen or heard about situations of online bullying, but there is concern about increased child abuse and spousal abuse during this time. “If those relationships weren’t that great before the COVID-19 crisis, then there’s a lot of concern,” she said. And now, she added, there’s the problem of limited access for people in those situations to let someone else know that there’s a problem.
What can someone do if they feel they are trapped in that kind of situation?
Crowther said people need to reach out. “Get to a phone and call us (University Medical Center). We can help. Call social services. Call or email mental health agencies and someone will absolutely address those issues as quickly as possible.”
What about mental health issues for health-care workers and first responders?
First responders and health-care professionals are currently being exposed to so many things – not only death but, because of safety measures hospitals have had to put in place, people dying without their families with them. Crowther said what health-care workers and first responders are missing is the team. “They don’t have family members around if someone is really sick, or if someone is transitioning to death. They don’t have family members who can be there in the hospital. So, not only are they having to double as health-care providers, which is what they’re trained to do, but also as family members,” she said.
To help, University Medical Center has started a program, the Alabama Crisis Response Unit. “What we’re doing is providing free, brief mental health services to first responders and those who provide direct care to COVID patients,” Crowther said. “We’re not asking them to take a deep dive into their mental health. What we’re asking them to do is to call us if they feel overwhelmed, if they feel stressed, if they’re having a difficult time.” She said UMC wants to make sure first responders and health-care professionals have a place to turn to. “We can’t fix their work environment, but we can help them develop strategies to reduce the level of anxiety and stress, or depression, they may be experiencing.”
The ACRU program offers individual and group therapy, for free and via telehealth. “So, if you are a health-care provider or first responder and you’ve been at work all day you don’t want to have one more place to go,” Crowther said. With telehealth, “you can just pull out your phone or your iPad and we’re right there and can provide services for you,” she said. To access ACRU services, email ACRU@ua.edu or call at (205) 348-7802.
What can everyday people do to help first responders and health-care professionals?
“Just provide them with a tremendous amount of support,” Crowther said. “So, when you see them, saying, ‘I appreciate you,’ is a great way to provide assistance.”