23: How behavioral health in the US is affected by Covid-19

In this installment of Radio Advisory, Rae is joined by Clare Wirth, an experienced Advisory Board consultant that leads research on behavioral health and care delivery transformation, to discuss the psychological effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Behavioral health needs in the US were already at an all-time high even before Covid-19 became a global crisis, with the highest recorded deaths of despair (related to suicide, alcohol and drugs) in the last 20 years. Living through this coronavirus pandemic causes more grief, fear and anxiety for Americans, an increased sense of loneliness that comes with weeks of social distancing, more opportunities for intimate partner violence and greater possibility of relapse for those struggling with substance abuse. Knowing the existing barriers to behavioral health treatment, health system leaders should be looking to promote available behavioral health resources at every staff meeting for the next three to six months, and foster cross-industry collaboration to align behavioral health treatment with other health services. More resources: How you should (and shouldn't) talk with your staff about mental health Managing mental health during Covid-19 Coping with stress