The COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to mental health
conditions. It is critical to understand what additional services and
supports are necessary post pandemic. The article mentioned there
was a study conducted to gather qualitative research, and a group a
behavioral health providers shared that social isolation has worsened
mental health conditions and caused people to turn to substance use
and fatally overdose.
The second article I chose explains what unprecedented effects the
COVID-19 pandemic had on mental health functions. A 15-month
study was conducted assessing what the clinical and community
outcomes were. All of the groups interviewed during this study had
significantly increased symptoms of depression, anxiety or other
mental health conditions. The study also showed that work
functioning worsened over time as well. At the end of the study, it
was determined that individuals who had access to services during
the pandemic exhibited lower negative impacts of COVID-19 on
mental health than expected.
These issues impact the work of human service agencies in a few
ways. The first way being that mental health providers are in more of
a need now, post pandemic than ever. Also, human service
professionals are needed now to help individuals adjust back to
normal life- help people get a job if they were laid off or to help
individuals find other services needed to support their families. The
agencies are much busier now after the pandemic since businesses
are functioning back at normal capacity, and families need more help
now than before.
Sources:
• Wynn, J.K., McCleery, A., Novacek, D.M., Reavis, E.A., Senturk,
D., Sugar, C.A., Tsai, J., Green, M.F.(2022). The Impact of the
COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Functional Outcomes
in Veterans with Psychosis or Recent Homelessness: A 15-Month
Longitudinal Study. Public Library of Science, 17(8)
• Jeffers, A., Meehan, A.A., Barker, J., Asher, A., Montgomery,
M.D., Bautista, G., Ray, C.M., Laws, R.L., Fields, V.L.,
Radhakrishnan, L., Cha, S., Christensen, A., Dupervil, B.,
Verlenden, J.V., Cassell, C.H., Boyer, A., DiPietro, B., Cary, M.,
Yang, M., Mosites, E., Marcus, R. (2022). Impact of Social
Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health,
Sustance Abuse and Homelessness: Qualitative Interviews with
Behavioral Health Providers. International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (19)
