Overcoming the Challenges of the Mental Health Care System in United States in the Aftermath of COVID-19

Study Objective(s)The impact of pandemic events such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to an economic crisis worldwide as well as an increase of mental health problems. In the United States, the gaps in the mental health care system struggle to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and have caused a major public health problem. We aim to increase the awareness of health care professionals, psychiatrists, and policy makers regarding failures and gaps in the mental health care system and suggest new ideas to overcome the growing burden of mental disorders.MethodWe utilized data from PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane, Embase and Clinicaltrials.gov databases to analyze available information on the US mental health system. We included any relevant articles addressing the prevalence of mental diseases, disparities and the gaps for an accessible and affordable mental health system, as well as the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords‘COVID-19’, ‘Coronavirus’, ‘SARS-CoV-2’, ‘mental health’, ‘Health, Mental’ were used.ResultsFollowing scoping review of several studies we noticed that while prevalence of mental health problems in the US varies between states and socio-demographic groups, it is among the top 10 causes of premature death and disability in adults. We noticed that mental health problems are currently one of the costliest public health issues in the healthcare system. Tracking Poll from one of the studies in our scoping review suggested that financial inequities are magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic and that psychological distress was substantially larger among respondents with lower income (33%), Hispanics (28%) and Blacks (26%). Furthermore, in another poll 62% of US population are shown to be anxious due to COVID-19. We observed that the prevalence of reported symptoms of psychological distress among US adults increased when compared to 2018. Common barriers such as failure of accessibility, insufficient funding, insufficient psychiatric beds, limited insurance access and economic burden, clinician shortages, fragmented care, insufficient mental health care policies and insufficient education and awareness about mental illness become more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic era.ConclusionsThe impact of COVID-19 on mental health is alarming, which affects public health and has made the health care system more vulnerable. Pandemic events not only cause acute negative impact, they also result in long-lasting health problems, isolation and stigma. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens the mental health of the population and its long-term consequences can lead to a secondary pandemic. The outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health emphasize the need for policies and strategies to support and strengthen a concerted effort to address its burden on the US mental health care system. In addition, it magnifies the need for high quality and well-funded research for future pandemics.

Emergent Crisis of COVID-19 Pandemic: Mental Health Challenges and Opportunities.

Mental health is a fundamental human right and is part of the well-being of society. The public health burden of mental health disorders affects people's social and economic status around the world. Coronavirus's (COVID-19) negative impact on the economy and mental health worldwide is concerning. This is a worldwide emergency, and there is an urgent need for research about this topic to prevent long-lasting adverse effects on the population. Unpreparedness and inconsistencies in guidelines, lockdowns, containment strategies, unemployment, financial losses, physical distancing, isolation, chaos, and uncertainty are among factors that lead to a rise in emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. Governments' decisions affect the socioeconomic status of a country and the psychological well-being of the people. COVID-19 pandemic exposed disparities in multiple mental health care systems by having adverse mental health effects in people with pre-existing mental health disorders and previously healthy individuals. Aggregation of concurrent or cumulative comorbid risk factors for COVID-19 disease and its psychosocial sequelae could provide invaluable information for the public health stakeholders. This review aims to address the burden and the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges and opportunities facing mental health systems, and proposes new strategies to improve the mental health outcomes in the post-COVID era.