Mental Health: The Unseen Consequences of COVID-19

Texans who test positive for COVID-19 may experience a wide range of physical ailments. But what about the unseen consequences that impact us all? Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with the Coronavirus, you may find yourself suffering from mental health issues. Extended loneliness, long-term isolation and unhealthy eating patterns are just a few of the resulting behaviors that can negatively impact on our health and wellbeing.

Learn more about COVID-19.

 

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VACCINE RECIPIENT 1: I did have COVID before, it was unpleasant. Um, you know, I guess a ways into it, I started to think, is this ever gonna end?

DR. LESLIE WEISBERG: The contraction of COVID-19 has resulted in, physical health issues, but it's also resulted in, mental health issues.

VACCINE RECIPIENT 2: Yeah, this year has been so crazy for all of us. And, you know, there's a lot of uncertainty.

PETE CASU: It's affected a lot of people, both, with family members that have passed away. It's effect on the other families that are impacted by that.

VACCINE RECIPIENT 3: My mother passed from COVID 19,and I have a very personal feeling about COVID 19. And that's why I'm wishing everyone in the country, that's able to, go out and take the vaccination.

REP. JOHN TURNER: That's just such a critical time to do it because we've reached that point where many folks who wanted to rush out and get the vaccine, many have done. So now, but we're at the point where we're now opening things up to everybody.

DR. WEISBERG: So mental health can definitely impact those without ever contracting COVID just from the fact of the isolation of the pandemic, people not being able to see family or friends.

VACCINE RECIPIENT 3: Besides being homebound, working from home the last year, it's been, it's been a big challenge.

DR. WEISBERG: So this has resulted in significant behavioral health or mental health issues, including depression and eating disorders. So, it's something that we're, we're seeing quite a bit of. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas has really tried to address these mental health issues, by supporting tele-health for our membership.

PETE: We have a focus on our mental health with our care coordinators that are employed by Salinas. And the goal is to focus our mental health efforts on contacting patients and ensuring that no one's falling through the gaps.

JOHN: Try to improve our standards for mental health treatment of kids, especially those who that have the more severe issues and sometimes need a residential treatment for a period of time.

DR. WEISBERG: So this is the way that we can get back to some normalcy in our lives and go back to some of our normal daily routines.

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