The Evolution of Mental Health

Has your mental health struggled since the onset of COVID-19? Read more about the challenges—and solutions—for current mental health issues in our latest blog 

Introduction 

With the continued spread of COVID-19 cases in the United States, there has been an adjacent increase of mental health cases. Poor mental health can lead to a deteriorating society. Without addressing mental health concerns, we will see decreased economic success, and increased suicide rates. We must get ahead of the issue.  

The United States has seen a sharp influx in mental health cases deriving from the onset of COVID-19 in March 20201, and the mental health of the country continues to decline rapidly. Many experience the stress and isolation of being separated from their friends and loved ones whilst in quarantine. Across the nation, people are experiencing job loss, drastically changed schedules, remote work, and are coming to terms with limited social activity.  

We must adapt to the reality of a COVID world to become a more mentally stable society. This pandemic has become crippling in many ways and mental health is something we must work towards improving for the future of the country to avoid further economic toil and increased suicide rates. To address this, there are government programs and case management tools to improve the mental health of the country. 

Mental Health Struggles in 2020 

There is a direct correlation between COVID-19 entering the United States and the decline of public mental health, with more than 40% of Americans saying their mental health has declined since the beginning of the outbreak2. People are trying to cope with the idea of living in a pandemic while simultaneously dealing with the everyday struggles of being a working member of society.  

Around the world, there is economic uncertainty and job loss. The mental decline happening within the United States is very reminiscent of how the country reacted during The Great Depression3. By providing the public with easy-to-access mental health programs, we can get ahead of the impending deterioration of the nation’s mental health. 

Case Management Tools- A Solution 

Mental health struggles have always been an issue in the United States, many people suggest that the pandemic is just further exasperating the struggles of individuals with pre-existing health issues. By providing mental health facilities with case management tools, we can promote improved outcomes for our communities by facilitating patient intake and assessment, sharing essential data between services providers to prevent anyone from falling through the cracks, and powerful reporting and analytics tools that help mental health providers quantify successes and identify those in greatest need, providing those experiencing mental health issues with a more comprehensive and responsive system of care. 

Flexible care coordination platforms like ClientTrack can help providers to give patients care from medical workers who understand and know their mental health situation. ClientTrack helps providers to share patient information and make data-driven decisions. But to make these interventions work, providers need access to critical patient information in order to make early, timeless, and informed care decisions. ClientTrack provides a highly flexible and customizable case management system that allows providers to coordinate care with multiple providers and have the critical information they need at their fingertips.

Using care coordination platforms in The United States can help the nation to provide seamless mental healthcare for individuals struggling. 

Mental Health Moving Forward 

While we may not be able to solve the mental health issues within The United States altogether, we need to get a handle on the mental health crisis in the wake of COVID-19. One important step for governments is implementing care coordination plans to better organize and administer health programs and provide citizens with accessible, approachable mental health resources. And on a community level, we must cherish the people around us and hear each other out as we work through our mental struggles. It is essential that we band together as a community during this pandemic to fight not only the physical disease but also the mental illness that accompanies it. 

Mental Health Resources 

It is vital to allow mental health hotlines to be readily available for anyone that might need them. These sources are for people who need someone to talk to about their mental instability and how they can receive further help4.

Crisis lines: 

• Call 911 
• Disaster Distress Help Line: 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish), or text TalkWithUs for English or Hablanos for Spanish to 66746. Spanish speakers from Puerto Rico can text Hablanos to 1-787-339-2663. 
• National Suicide Prevention: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish
• National Domestic Violence: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522 
• National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4AChild (1-800-422-4453) or text 1-800-422-4453 
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)  
• The Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 
• Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Chat text: 8388255 
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat. 

Works Cited 

1. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/ 
2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2020/05/19/the-other-covid-19-crisis-declining-mental-health/#1be530cd3d65 
3. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/facing-mental-health-fallout-from-the-coronavirus-pandemic