在我们继续度过冠状病毒(COVID-19)大流行的过程中, it’s become clear that we must also prepare for what some are calling the “secondary p和emic” – 精神健康危机.
不过，可以肯定的是，这场危机并不新鲜. 我们因心理健康挑战而失去的生命比以往任何时候都多, 科罗拉多州的心理健康状况因COVID-19的到来而恶化. 它对我们个人和集体福祉构成的威胁不容忽视.
这种病毒带来了许多人从未想象过的新现实——突然失业, 学校关闭, 隔离, 企业发烧检查, rationing of personal protective equipment 和 even an inability to hold funerals for loved ones. 每一种约束都伴随着压力层, 恐惧, 悲伤和疲惫, 情绪上的损失对心理健康有真正的影响.
科罗拉多人的心态
Coloradans widely 报告 that the p和emic is having a negative effect on their mental health, 根据我们的 代表调查 4月. 与更健康的科罗拉多州合作, 我们试图更好地理解这些经历, concerns 和 needs of people across the state in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. 一些最令人担忧的数据与心理健康有关(查看我们的 视觉简短).
简单地说，许多科罗拉多人正在受苦. 有些人比其他人更多:
- Over half of all Coloradans say the coronavirus has negatively impacted their mental health.
- 许多科罗拉多人担心对心理健康的长期负面影响.
- Coloradans are worried that help won’t be available for those who need mental health support. 事实上，十分之七的受访者非常或有些担心.
这些观点在低收入人群中更为普遍,000或以下), 失去工作的人, 大流行造成的收入或工作时间, 和女人.
“我担心钱. 我付不起账单.-女性，亚当斯县白人，18-29岁
什么在侵蚀心理健康
根据我们的调查，以下是一些罪魁祸首:
- A majority of Coloradans say their lives have been significantly disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.
- 科罗拉多人担心最糟糕的事情还在后头. People of color, 低收入人群 和女人 报告 this perspective more than others.
- Coloradans living on low incomes 和 young people (18-29 years of age) are facing financial hardship. 许多人报告说，自疫情爆发以来，他们的财务状况变得更糟了.
- 自疫情爆发以来, 超过三分之一的科罗拉多人表示难以支付食物, 住房, 公用事业和卫生保健.
“这是一种复杂的情绪. 我感到悲伤和偏执，认为这场大流行危机会变得更糟.-男，丹佛县，亚裔，35-39岁
长期存在的差距日益加深
The survey results confirm what we have known to be true for a long time: people with historically less power 和 privilege are hit the hardest by societal stressors, often because their life experiences are tied up in a multigenerational web of structural racism 和 systemic oppression. 以流行病对……的影响为例 Latinx科罗拉多, 黑人/非裔美国人科罗拉多人 和 低收入人群.
It’s no surprise the data shows that 低收入人群 are more likely to 报告 concern about the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, 或者有色人种担心最糟糕的事情还在后头. 我们知道，他们承受了大流行病的最大压力. 现在，我们的国家比以往任何时候都更加依赖这些人.
在他们生命中对未来充满不确定性的时期, 黑色的, Latinx, 土著, immigrant 和 refugee communities make up the essential workforce at higher rates than the White population – particularly in lower wage jobs. 送货司机, 杂货店和食品储藏室的储藏员, 门卫, 农民和农场工人, 供应链仓库工人, 护士和医疗辅助对我们社区的健康至关重要.
The crisis has put the spotlight on disparities that have existed since the dawn of our country – such as higher rates of illness 和 death in people of color 和 greater barriers to quality education for children of low-income households. It’s also exposed that these populations endure increased stress 和 risk associated with potential virus contraction 和 the inability to remain home to care for young children.
我们的心理健康伙伴告诉我们的
The p和emic has revealed widening cracks in an already fragile mental health system. 以下是我们从现场听到的一些消息:
School counselors are going the extra mile to check on students as parents 报告 increased stress related to remote learning 和 technology limitations furthering feelings of loneliness 和 separation.
4月 报告 released by Colorado Education Initiative 和 Colorado Department of Education named students’ social emotional needs as a critical request by districts across the state.
年长的成年人s 是否也像许多已经独自生活的人一样脆弱, 但还是要出去享受医疗服务和购物, 现在他们的互动如此有限，以至于心理健康可能会下降吗.
科罗拉多州的移民和难民社区正经历着极度的痛苦. 最近的联邦政策，如改革 公共负担规则 已经放大的恐惧. One provider partner shared that patients are expressing despair over job losses 和, 对于许多, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms from the early period after immigration have resurfaced.
这场危机还导致了 针对亚洲人的种族主义抬头. Providers say clients are sharing all-time high stress levels 和 folks are opting out of services because of stigma-related 恐惧 和 anxiety.
What’s less clear is whether mental health supports will be available for those who need it. 在资源已经不足的系统中, many behavioral health workers are having trouble with their own mental health as they attempt to keep up with skyrocketing dem和s. 例如，由 科罗拉多州危机服务中心 与2019年相比，今年3月的电话数量增加了57%.
“我受到了严重的影响. 我儿子受到了影响. 他是单身. 他丢了工作，这对他影响很大. 我的二儿子是急救员. 他是消防员，他和病人有接触，所以他有危险.-女性，格兰德县，黑人/非裔美国人，65岁以上
我们不能袖手旁观
The “secondary p和emic” is already here 和 our response in the coming weeks 和 months is critical. 更糟糕的是, 由于我们州迫在眉睫的预算危机，行为健康服务受到威胁.
We have a responsibility to act courageously in supporting the mental health of individuals 和 families. As funders, we can use our influence, investments 和 voice to prioritize the following:
- Keep the spotlight fixed on disparities rooted in racism 和 socioeconomics – 和 the conditions that prolong them. 孤独和缺乏归属感等因素(个人层面), 文化无能的护理和支离破碎的支持(系统性障碍), 资源和基础设施的不成比例分配, 住房和粮食不安全, racism 和 intergenerational trauma (community conditions) all contribute to loss of mental health.
- 确定支持我们州行为健康安全网系统的方法. Colorado’s main provider of behavioral health 和 substance use services for underinsured, 没有保险和享受医疗补助的人, is made up of a system of 17 community mental health centers 和 two specialty clinics across the state. 大流行病颠覆了它们的服务模式和财政基础, 预计他们将首当其冲地承受该州大幅削减预算的冲击.
- Encourage meaningful ways to listen to individuals impacted by mental health challenges 和 engage them in solutions to design a new future for mental health in Colorado. 而不是为个人创造解决方案, 我们必须转向与有实际经验的人一起或由他们来解决问题, 这承认了韧性, 智慧, 心理卫生界消费者和提供者的技能和专业知识.
- 加强培训和人才输送. It’s always been difficult – even before this p和emic – to hire 和 retain behavioral health providers due to the stress of the profession.
- 扩大创新和高效的服务提供机制, like placing peer support specialists in public libraries 和 other places where people can easily access help. 另外, we must aid the expansion of telehealth services 和 help ensure individuals have the devices 和 internet connection necessary to make use of this option.
- 拜访朋友, 家庭, coworkers 和 decision-makers to develop deeper empathy for people who shoulder more burden than individuals with greater privilege.
我们所有人都要面对科罗拉多人. 心理健康宣传月即将结束, 但是，我们必须保持警惕，应对社区需求.