Covid-19’s Impact on Mental Health

To stay safe during the beginning of the pandemic the government advised citizens to not gather and stay at home. Many people were not able to see their family or friends as a consequence lost their support groups. The social distancing and lockdown orders are essential to limiting the spread of Covid-19 but has increased anxiety and stress for many people (CDC, 2021). Individuals struggling with mental health issues lost sense of normalcy.  Managing mental health is already tough, the added pressure of worrying about contracting and spreading the virus is exacerbating their health issues.

Covid-19 has increased reported anxiety and depressive disorders, before the pandemic 10% reported having these concerns and now this number has increased to 40% (Kamal & Panchal, 2021). The lockdowns caused uncertainty for many due to fear of contracting the virus, working from home, homeschooling, and losing work (WHO, 2021). The constant unknown and anxiety has taken a toll on many people’s mental health.

The end of the pandemic is in sight with vaccine rollouts. Canadians are estimated to be fully vaccinated by the end of 2021 (Liu, 2021). As restrictions lift there is still uncertainty about safety and people’s health. Telehealth will continue to be essential for healthcare providers and patients.

 

How Telehealth has Helped

 

In many aspects’ technology has helped society continue having access to many things through online platforms. For example, families were able to video call through Zoom and restaurants could continue serving customers with UberEATS.  Telehealth has reduced the isolation many are feeling. Telehealth has helped continue individual’s treatments without interruptions and gaps. Being able to get in contact with your doctor virtually removes the fear of getting sick while still taking care of one’s health.

Telehealth has been a big factor in reducing the burden on many healthcare facilities. Virtual care reduces the exposure of ill patients on caregivers and allows sufficient room for patients who need urgent care facilities (CDC, 2021).

 

Transition to Virtual Care

Due to restrictions and lockdowns many healthcare providers stopped taking in person appointments. This included therapists who had to transition to virtual platforms amid the Covid-19 pandemic which took a toll on these essential providers. Telehealth has helped them continue to work and help their patients (Madani, 2020).

Porton Health has been providing customers a convenient and safe option to book online appointments for their patients. The BookApp is very easy to use and helps patients have consistent treatment. Our knowledgeable support team is available to answer any questions or concerns. Patients can use our secure video conferencing software that requires only an Internet-connected computer and a webcam to attend appointments for their mental health.  To learn more about how to implement telehealth or how Porton Health’s virtual care system works, email as at portonhealth@gmail.com.

References

CDC. (2021, January). Mental health and coping during covid-19. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

CDC. (2021). Using telehealth to expand access to essential health services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Retrieved June 01, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/telehealth.html

Kamal, R., & Panchal, N. (2021, April 14). The implications of Covid-19 for mental health and substance use. Retrieved May 31, 2021, from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/

Liu, S. (2021, May 27). A snapshot of Canada\’s progress in Administering COVID-19 VACCINES. Retrieved June 01, 2021, from https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/a-snapshot-of-canada-s-progress-in-administering-covid-19-vaccines-1.5444007

Madani, D. (2020, June 15). Therapists are under strain IN covid-19 Era, Counseling clients on Trauma they\’re also experiencing themselves. Retrieved June 01, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/therapists-are-under-strain-covid-era-counseling-clients-trauma-they-n1230956

WHO. (2021). Mental health and covid-19. Retrieved May 31, 2021, from https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/covid-19

Zhou, X., Snoswell, C., Harding, L., Bambling, M., Edirippulige, S., Bai, X., & Smith, A. (2020, April 16). The role of telehealth in reducing the mental health burden from covid-19. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/tmj.2020.006