During the "Shadow Pandemic: Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on Patients and the Care Team" webinar hosted by the American Medical Association, physician experts discussed the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on medical professionals, dubbed the "shadow-pandemic" by the AMA, and ways industry executives can support their teams through these mental health challenges.
In the webinar, industry experts discussed the new patient health needs, physician challenges and mental health changes of patients and practitioners over the course of the pandemic.
Eileen Barrett, MD, a New Mexico-based internal medicine hospitalist and an AMA Satcher Health Leadership Institute Medical Justice in Advocacy fellow, who was featured on the panel, shared five ways that healthcare leaders can improve their colleagues' well-being and mental health:
- Acknowledge it is a hard time.
- Thank people for the work they are doing in personal ways to help them feel connected.
- Show your own vulnerabilities and that things can be difficult at times.
- Share support resources that are available to physicians, including support groups and other avenues. Make sure you share what is available in multiple venues and have a low barrier of entry for people to access the help.
- Talk about things that are hard — and why they are hard — but also talk about the things that are positive. Share resources, tips and hacks for well-being as much as possible, because not being in a crisis is different than thriving.
Dr. Barrett further recommended that executives remove questions on licensing and credentialing applications that stigmatize mental health diagnoses or individuals seeking mental healthcare.
To watch the full webinar, click here.