As we all know the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on many people,
economically, physically, and mentally. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit,
several businesses were affected too. Small businesses could not afford to
keep their doors open, while other businesses couldn't keep staff or find any
sources for products. Trade was scarce and people were scared. This involved
people acting irrationally. There were many factors that played in and
validated this behavior. The uncertainty of employment, social security, health
coverage, and when things would go back to normal made additional stressors
to mental health problems (Goddard, Sullivan, Fields, & Mackey, 2021).
People felt very alone and were not used to being in this type of isolation. a
Many of these people reached out to human service industries for help. Human
service industries like therapy, counseling, or psychiatry, could help with a
person's mental health. These services offer someone to speak to and listen, so
you do not feel alone. Human service industries also offer guidance and plans
for financial struggles. People who are dealing with unemployment,
bankruptcy, and business loss may turn to these agencies to figure out what
their plan or next step should be.
Human service industries also altered with the pandemic as in-person
appointments were not being provided. The industry had to change with the
world. These agencies began to offer more online and virtual appointments for
healthcare. Dr. OnDemand created by Dr.Phil is an app that allows hundreds
of health services online. These services do include many human service
agencies. There are counselors and therapists to talk to 24/7, with little-to-no
cost with insurance. a These services are looking to be expanded and even
include school-based health services (Tham, Sojli, Bryant, & McAleer, 2021).
Telehealth implementation can offer support to all schools and societies by
allowing accessibility to human services. Many people do not seek out help
because they aren't sure where to receive it. Human service professionals have
advertised, generated partnerships, and given speeches to show that mental
health is important Telehealth also manages strain on the healthcare system,
by assisting patients who can receive help at home. Overall, during the entire
pandemic, the human service industry populated and became more valued.
People now understand the importance of mental health.
Although the pandemic affected everyone in different ways, the human service
industry constantly worked to help patients. This industry also improved since
the pandemic and found ways to help everyone via zoom or other video chat
services. Since the pandemic, I believe people feel more comfortable talking
about their mental health, and this had benefited the industry. People have
experienced what it is like to be overwhelmed with the changing world and
sought out guidance from several human services.
Goddard, A., Sullivan, E., Fields, P., & Mackey, S. (2021). The Future of
Telehealth in School-Based Health Centers: Lessons from COVID-19.
Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 35(3), 304–309. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1016/j.pedhc.2020.11.008
Tham, W. W., Sojli, E., Bryant, R., & McAleer, M. (2021). Common Mental
Disorders and Economic Uncertainty: Evidence from the COVID-19
Pandemic in the U.S. PLoS ONE, 16(12), 1–14. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0260726
