Mental Health Workers: The Other First Responders in this Pandemic
Why mental health workers need safeguarding and protection more than ever
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a lot of talk in the media about the importance of preventing overload to our health care system. What we are only starting to hear about is its (anticipated) overwhelming impact on mental health services… and its providers.
Mental health workers are just as prone to burnout as any other care providers. Given the predicted impact of this pandemic on the well-being of virtually everyone, we need these service providers to be stronger than ever. Mental health workers need protection now, to ensure that they are available and prepared for the coming mental health crisis.
Nobody is immune to the pandemic’s negative mental health effects.
Social distancing measures keep loved ones apart, businesses and schools closed, people without steady work or income, and other services overloaded. The stress to essential workers and their families is obvious. We are living in a time of great uncertainty, with no end in sight.
Psychiatrists Dr. Andrew L. Smith of The Ottawa Hospital and Dr. Neil de Laplante of the University of…
