Mental Health after COVID-19

In the wake of the pandemic, there will be an even greater need for help in the face of loss, isolation and traumaCredit: Getty Images

As psychiatrists who have worked on the frontlines of the pandemic, we’ve seen firsthand how the COVID-19 pandemic has ruthlessly tested the limits of our health care system. Just when the pandemic seems to be momentarily abating, the country is reckoning with another public health crisis—that of anti-black racism and police violence. Emerging data shows that COVID-19 disproportionately affects minority communities, likely due to racism’s downstream effects on socioeconomic opportunities, health outcomes and insurance coverage.

With widespread social isolation, increasing unemployment and unprecedented levels of stress, we are witnessing an impending mental health crisis. While these events have painfully unearthed the weaknesses of our system, we as psychiatrists see one hopeful prospect: recognition and improvement of American mental healthcare. Here are five ways that we believe COVID-19 could drive mental health innovation forward to create a more equitable system of care for Americans