A year ago, at the very beginning of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a lot of talk about the consequences of social distancing, lockdown, and all the measures that were introduced. In the episode, The Brain Architects, experts Dr. Archana Basu and Dr. Karestan Koenen spoke about the family and children, their protective factors in times of crisis. Now, after a year, they are talking about the situation and what happened in the field of protection of the family, children, protective factors, and the consequences that the pandemic brought.
During the conversation, they answered questions such as what worried them a year ago, have there had been any changes? Has the support needed for families changed since the beginning of the pandemic and is it now more accessible? They talked about the term "pandemic fatigue" or pandemic apathy, about advice for families who really felt social distance, isolation, as well as about fighting emotionally, financially, and mentally.
As for advice and recommendations on how to support each other in the future, instructions for policymakers, experts, parents state that:
„Recognizing that there is no health without mental health is central to planning for the future. We need significant investments in our mental health infrastructure and also to reconsider the ways in which current systems are structured. We highlight four points to consider that include both long-term and shorter-term ideas:
- Flexible and integrative models of care such as telehealth, multidisciplinary teams, and cross-sector partnerships, as discussed above, are important next steps that should be implemented, evaluated, and expanded.
- Centering health equity in all aspects of future planning and implementation is critical. The pandemic has made it clear that while we are all in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. The impact of systemic inequities in the U.S. on BIPOC communities has long since been established and reiterated and exacerbated in the pandemic.
- Prevention is a major area for growth. Data suggest that at least half of lifetime mental disorders begin in childhood, and approximately 75% are diagnosed before age 25. This not only means that we need much more investment in childhood mental health research and health care access, but also that we need to support those who most closely care for our children and their emotional development-–parents, early childhood caregivers, and educators. Given what we know about sensitive periods of development especially in the pregnancy through age 3 period, greater investments in research and clinical care in this period are essential.
- These points also serve to highlight that to reshape health care, we also need to consider the practical implications of training and education in mental health disciplines (e.g., psychiatry, psychology, social work) but really all medical specialties, and school-based roles. Training that builds on intergenerational, systemic, and life-course approaches in the science of early childhood development, trauma, resilience, and what they mean for specific disciplines, is key.“
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