It is more important now than ever before to address health concerns and needs within our communities. COVID-19 has intensified the stress of everyone—making it even harder to cope with pre-existing anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health struggles.
While many businesses have had to close during the pandemic, our facility in Newport Beach has remained open as an essential business helping patients with their mental wellness.
No one has been exempt from suffering limitations and facing change brought on by this global pandemic. Even though everyone is going through a very similar experience of lost personal freedom and social isolation, the impact and specifics are different for everyone. This is very isolating and has hit a lot of people hard.
- Stress over money and healthcare changes
- Social distancing and loss of social events
- Negative news cycles that increase anxiety
- Disruption in work and school routines
- Scarcity concerns with certain supply shortages
While we do offer telepsychiatry, we find that some cases do need an in-person touch. The social limitations and worries about health safety has kept many from seeing human faces or experiencing real human contact on a regular basis. We’ve worked hard to offer safe solutions for in-person visits in cases where the face-to-face setting is needed for true care.
Mental Healthcare During the Pandemic
It is not unusual to feel anxious as you watch the news or read concerns of others on social media. While it’s important to stay up-to-date, a constant news cycle and social media stream of content can have a detrimental effect on your mental health. It is crucial to stay connected to mental healthcare professionals and get the regular care you need during this time.
Stress is nothing new in our society. In 2019, Gallup reported that 55% of Americans reported high levels of stress. This is far higher than the global average of 35% during that time period.
Understandably, we have only seen this increase during the pandemic. Not only has the pandemic caused a lot of unknowns, but the intense political climate of a presidential election has also played its part in increasing stress and frustrations.
The American Psychological Association has taken this seriously. According to the APA report, Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis:
- 78% of respondents say they are stressed by COVID-19
- On a 10-point scale, the reported stress level average rose from 5.0 to 6.1
- 70% of Gen Z adults report symptoms of depression or anxiety, including daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, unhappiness and loneliness.
The APA notes:
“We are facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come.
There is no question: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the lives of all Americans, and it will continue to do so. It has disrupted work, education, health care, the economy, and relationships, with some groups more negatively impacted than others.”
We don’t want to assume that our patients are able to get the care they need from telehealth options alone. While these cutting-edge virtual care solutions are incredibly helpful, not everyone is able to use them to get the care they truly need.
Following Intensive Protocols for Safety
It is crucial we keep our doors open, but this has required changes in how we run our clinics. Locations, like our mental health clinic in Newport Beach, have been able to stay open for in-person office visits. We have brought in new physicians and are accepting new patients for care during this time of need.
Remaining open has required special attention on our safety policies and health practices. We have carefully reviewed the medical data and determined the best procedures for reducing risk within a clinic setting. These protocols can be changed at any time, since we are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation and expert recommendations.
In order to keep patients and staff safe, the following safety measures have been put in place at Mindful Health Solutions psychiatry clinics, including our Newport Beach location:
- All patients are required to complete a COVID-19 Screener prior to arrival at our clinic.
- Patient portal screens and clinic flow is in place to manage guest contact
- All patients will receive a temperature check upon arrival.
- All patients are required to wear a surgical, breathable, single-use mask provided by the clinic and remove any personal mask or face covering upon arrival.
- Friends and Family members are asked to stay home or wait in the building lobby to reduce potential exposure.
- All employees (including physicians) are required to complete a COVID-19 Screener daily that includes a temperature check before coming into the clinic.
- All employees are required to wear a mask (surgical or N95) within the clinic at all times.
All technicians and physicians are required to wear a CDC-compliant mask (N95) during treatment. - All technicians and physicians are required to wash their hands or use an alcohol-based sanitizer before and after each treatment.
- All clinic devices, treatment rooms, and door handles will be thoroughly disinfected after each treatment using a comprehensive checklist and wiping down all surfaces.
- All clinics will follow strict cleaning protocols for the check-in kiosks, lobby surfaces, paying close attention to high touch Water cooler, magazines, and all other communal materials have temporarily been removed from waiting rooms.
- All employees and patients are encouraged to practice social distancing (6ft or greater) when possible throughout the day.
Our goal is to provide safe care for you and the rest of our patients without sacrificing the health of our staff or anyone else. We understand that some things just aren’t quite the same with telehealth. We are grateful that telepsychiatry works for some cases and is able to reduce the numbers physically crossing our threshold right now, but we know it isn’t the right option for every case.
Even our at-home employees do the daily Screener. This allows them to stay aware of norms and catch potential risks to avoid COVID spread.
We take the COVID-19 measures VERY seriously.
Telepsychiatry for Home Care Solutions
We offer secure virtual care for those who are interested in telepsychiatry and want to avoid the office setting. This allows you to log in through most laptops, tablets and desktop computers equipped with a device camera and internet access.
Just like in a normal healthcare appointment, our highly qualified experts can provide care and assistance.
This increases access for patients that are traveling or sick, and find it impossible to visit a clinic. Our patients have expressed how convenient and helpful this feature has been to find mental healthcare despite COVID-19 restrictions and closures.
Mental Health Support During the Pandemic
We are committed to helping our patients during this difficult time.
The APA has been clear in noting the severity of the mental health crisis resulting from the pandemic. APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD said what many of us are thinking:
“Our mental health is suffering from the compounding stressors in our lives. This compounding stress will have serious health and social consequences if we don’t act now to reduce it. We’re already seeing this with some of the youngest members of our nation, who just seven months into this crisis are beginning to show signs of serious mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.”
We proudly serve the San Francisco Bay area, Southern California, Newport Beach and other parts of California with 16 physical offices and telepsychiatry.
If you are looking for mental support and healthcare, there is no better time than the present to seek care. We are opening our doors for new patients at our Newport Beach location, among others. You may be a good fit for virtual care and teletherapy in some cases. Contact Mindful Health Solutions today or call us at (844) 867-8444.
