The pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of many Americans, especially children and young adults. In an interview for the New Yorker, Dr. Archana Basu, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at MGH, was interviewed about the effects of the pandemic on our well-being and how to ensure that those affected get the support and care they need.
The pandemic has upended every element of our lives, and it has really fundamentally changed how we live, how we work, how we attend school. It’s not geographically circumscribed, and it’s been prolonged… I think there are ways in which we can learn from prior mass disasters, but also recognize that this is a pretty unique stressor that we haven’t experienced before.
Although the pandemic has created has profoundly impacted all of us, Dr. Basu is optimistic about the future, noting that in the face of this collective trauma, we are now, as a society, more likely to acknowledge that emotional health is important and central to our overall health and well-being.
She also notes that the pandemic has highlighted the fact that so many Americans, especially children, do not have access to mental health services. Dr. Basu hopes that, moving forward, we will be able to expand access to mental health services. For example, rather than relying on specialized care delivered by a small number of mental health professionals, we could move to more integrated models of care where mental health assessments and interventions are part of routine pediatric and medical care.
Recovering from the Emotional Challenges of the Pandemic (The New Yorker)
Michael S. Jellinek, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry and of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Jellinek was the Chief of Child Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital for 32 years from 1979-2012. He has also served as Chief Clinical Officer of Partners HealthCare (2012-2014) and as President of Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, MA, (2001-2012).
