American Journal of Health Promotion | 2021
Behavioral Health in America During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Meeting Increased Needs Through Access to High Quality Virtual Care
Abstract
Such studies are possible given that evidence-based treatments are available for PTSD and other forms of psychological distress. Important remaining questions could also be addressed by including assessment of chronic disease or disease-related biomarkers as secondary outcomes in mental health treatment trials. Third, we need to communicate more effectively about the importance of psychological well-being for population health. Conveying this message to a range of audiences, including healthcare providers, payers, employers, policymakers, and the public, has the benefit of reducing the stigma frequently attached to experiencing PTSD and other forms of psychological distress, motivating the integration of mental and physical health care services, and reducing the sense that mental and physical health must compete for resources. Effectively communicating this message will also increase political will to prioritize prevention and early determinants of population health, and thereby allocate resources to address structural and other factors that shape risk and resilience. Notably, many structural factors that have resulted in disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on low-resource communities are also known to adversely affect mental health. The pandemic exposes some hard truths about our health system and health priorities. In our current system, mental and physical health are treated as separate entities, addressed by different medical and public health disciplines. However, we must now attend to mental health in order to promote a sound mind and body. During this time of much uncertainty and fear, we see a unique opportunity to harness our increasingly sophisticated understanding of the inter-relationship between mental and physical health. Reducing the mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to have lasting benefits for mental and physical health. Already researchers are mobilizing the evidence base to address the mental health impact of COVID-19, pointing to phased intervention approaches to meet differing needs of affected individuals. Mental health interventions at the individual-, organizational, and population-level should be prioritized and supported not only to mitigate acute psychological distress, but also to evaluate whether and how such interventions improve subsequent physical health. Additionally, effects of other population-wide interventions (e.g., economic stimulus package) that are not targeted specifically at mental health but have substantial implications for health and functioning should be evaluated. While considering mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is particularly relevant now, this is not the only context in which these considerations and efforts will have impact. Indeed, the vast majority of individuals will be exposed to a trauma during their lifetimes, with sizable proportions subsequently experiencing psychological distress. By recognizing the critical interplay between mental and physical health, debunking the false dichotomy between them (and the corresponding competition for resources and attention), and identifying upstream social determinants of how these relationships play out, we can make more substantial progress to improving population health in the context of a pandemic and beyond.