Pandemic Initiatives Support Mental Health of Healthcare Workers – Stony Brook News

STONY BROOK, NY, August 20, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has placed great strains on the physical and mental health of healthcare workers in the United States and around the world. To assist its healthcare workers, Stony Brook Medicine implemented a series of mental health support initiatives during the pandemic ranging from creating a respite area, providing comfort packages, holding virtual mindfulness sessions and posting support and wellness message tips throughout the hospital. The initiative, detailed in a paper published inPsychologicalTrauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, could serve as a model for other healthcare institutions.

We learned that creating a full mental health support program for our colleagues requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort with the mindset that we are truly in this together, saysAdam Gonzalez, PhD, Director of Behavioral Health and the Mind-Body Clinical Research Center in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.

The team consisted of psychologists, nurses, social workers, physicians, physical therapists, other healthcare providers, patient advocates, chaplains, and IT and communications specialists. Some of the initiatives Gonzalez and co-authors highlight include:

The mental healthcare needs of our staff varied in need and intensity at various times during the pandemic, says Gonzalez. Generally we found that creating a respite space and providing in-person support options is best when possible and that healthcare workers are less likely to participate in support groups and more willing to engage in mindfulness meditation meetings.

About Stony Brook Medicine:

Stony Brook Medicine integrates and elevates all of Stony Brook Universitys health-related initiatives: education, research and patient care. It includes five Health Sciences schools Dental Medicine, Health Technology and Management, Medicine, Nursing and Social Welfare as well as Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, Stony Brook Childrens Hospital and more than 200 community-based healthcare settings throughout Suffolk County. To learn more, visit http://www.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

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Pandemic Initiatives Support Mental Health of Healthcare Workers - Stony Brook News