Innovative Ways to Deliver Mental Health Care Thrive During Pandemic

The challenges that the individual faces due to poor mental health are the leading cause of disability around the world, and in light of the Corona epidemic, mental health systems that are already suffering from a lack resources are under great pressure. keep pace with the pandemic, but there are three main barriers that limit access to care, namely the lack of specialist caregivers, the stigma surrounding mental health issues and mistrust of institutions.

The scenario is not bleak in all respects; The public and private sectors are ready to encourage change, and innovative programs promise better access to care, whether the financial resources of the community are large or limited; These programs combine cutting-edge science, digital delivery of information and services, and collaborative efforts among people with mental health issues, professionals and the community at large.

Digital healthcare options through telemedicine and all kinds of new applications have grown exponentially during the pandemic. Online services are reaching the farthest reaches and overcoming fears of stigma about the decision to seek treatment. They can also effectively expand health and social services, but they cannot overcome the lack of specialized therapists. The scarcity of specialist treatment providers coordinating care means that even app-based telemedicine faces challenges in reaching the people who need it.

One of the solutions to these challenges is to strengthen community and peer support to raise the level of effectiveness of mental health care and expand its reach, whether by providing treatment services or directly. or via the Internet, and people with mental illnesses provide helping hand to others through what is called peer support. Show them that they are not alone in their mental health problems, which is a major development in the field; People with mental health issues help recovery by building trust with peers who have similar experiences, peer care teams lead group discussions, mentor or coach others facing psychological challenges, and provide support and training to health workers its societal importance; Community health workers are ordinary members of society who are responsible for providing basic health care, including prevention, health promotion and rehabilitation services, expanding care to include more people who are need it in the world. the Internet.

In many countries, the public and private sectors have designed programs that combine these approaches, and community peers are often involved in the design, counseling and support of online mental health services. Examples of such services are Togetherall, ReachOut and SevenCbs 7 Cups and UCLA STAND, these services have become reliable sources of help and referral for young people, their families and others in distress and facing problems of mental health. Strong365’s NYWell program is Strong 365, a result of a public-private partnership, a digital pilot project to help young people still in the early stages of serious mental health problems, the NYWell search engine and program announcements via social media connect – via a link With a website that offers various forms of help ranging from self-education and online peer support to professional care, and has attracted thousands of visitors Since launching in New York State in November 2020, Half of site visitors take a self-test to check their mental health, 1 in 10 online visitors contact a peer or therapist e, and 1 in 5 visitors are referred to community care, the program is expanding and a randomized controlled group trial has begun to measure its effectiveness. Early results suggest that young people with severe mental health issues are ready to engage in so-called online care at multiple levels, ranging from peer-to-peer interactions to sessions with specialist therapists.

Continued progress will require collaboration between people with mental health issues, community workers, mental health and technology professionals, public and private sector leaders and others, but these programs promise to transform care for them. people wherever they are.