WAs we physically struggled with COVID-19, putting on masks and using hand sanitizer to protect ourselves from an invisible virus, another invisible pandemic was consolidating.
Behind snarky memes and jokes about too many bottles of wine on the sidewalk, lies a sad reality: disorder, isolation, fear, sadness, and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted mental health worldwide. Only in the USe, mmineral what 32% of consumers said they had experienced anxiety or depression as a result of the pandemic.10
How we react to this impact could redefine our communities and help us move towards a healthier and more inclusive future.. But first, we must understand how deep our collective mental health issues to run. Plus, there they are industries and communities unequally affected by the pandemic i We want and need to raise awareness of those who wear the weight of mental health toll.
Health care
The impact of the pandemic on health care workers cannot be overstated. Workers they have fought a unpredictable illness for more than 14 months, caring for the sick and bearing witness unprecedented loss, i they they are reaching a breaking point. Mmore than 60% of health workers stateed that the pandemic has negatively affected his mental health with doctors, women in particular, living impressive amounts of exhaustion.6.7 Increased demand for schedules caused some workers to do so report that even if they had access to mental health services, they could not pass the time of work use they,6 aadding one more barrier to seeking mental health services when they are most needed.
Education
Educators have it too they have been asked to take more of their share. Besides a reimaginaring education and pivoting overnight a distance learning, have been tasked with leading their students in a time of crisis, caring for and healing their social and emotional needs. Under normal circumstances, educators are prone run out of, even indirectly assuming trauma or secondary traumatic stress of students in crisis.8 Only the pandemic intensified this with whole classrooms of students navigating from fear to mourning. The reported exhaustion has almost doubled in educators, in this same study a shocking a quarter of teachers said they will likely leave the profession after the 2020-21 school year.9
Communities and Government
In a way, the COVID-19 pandemic is a moment of generational definition, an event we lived together together. However, the pandemic highlighted the disparities that have always existed in our communities and on the world stage.
Immediately, minorities and women experienced more socioeconomic ramifications of global closures.1 And as the months passed, women took a step back or left the workforce in unprecedented numbers to take on the responsibilities of caring for children..2 Not surprisingly, this has had a major impact on the mental health of both demographic groups1, not to mention the aggravation of existing disparities and the shaking of the foundations of possible future gains.
Both governments and employers have historically struggled to address the need for comprehensive mental health programs. And while, in general, the stigma surrounding asking for help is waning, minority groups are denouncing more self-stigma and experiencing a drastic disparity when it comes to mental health..4.5 In a year that will be synonymous with racial causes and social justice, this is once again another area where systemic inequalities leave the most vulnerable among us without the critical and lifesaving services they deserve.
Cisco Addressing Mental Health
At Cisco we are committed to creating an inclusive recovery and a future for all, and we know better mental health. programs as well as reduce the barriers and stigma associated with asking for help they are key to this mission. Ttechnology can play an important role in creating access to care and constructioning the connections needed to create a healthier, more empathetic world.
Over the last year, we have helped create robust virtual care programs for mental health providers and closed the digital divide through the use of the digital gateway and patient care technologies. Seamless technologies they are too take education further and we are helping to empower educators with the right tools, helping them finance and finance the platforms and systems they need to focus on their students – and themselves. As a company that Cisco has focused on end the stigma which surrounds mental health among our more than 75,000 employees and therefore the global community. While COVID-19 has aggravated an existing problem, We I hope it is a catalyst for awareness and change that was desperately needed before March 2020.
We can all do more to create a healthier world. Be sure to raise awareness about the challenges that are happening in our communities activated yours social channels using #mental health matters i #mental health awareness.
If you want to stay up to date on critical issues in all sectors, follow our #HealthcareNow, #Education Now, #GovernAra series.
Sources
- Common Heritage Fund, 2020
- McKinsey, 2020
- McKinsey, 2021
- Rand Health Quarterly, 2017
- Disparities in mental health: diverse populations
- HealthcareDive, 2021
- HealthcareDive, 2020
- www.ascd.org, 2021
- Education Week, 2021.
- Consumer Survey of PwC Health Research Institute, September 2020
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