Today, we’re facing an unprecedented challenge as we navigate the changes COVID-19 has placed on our everyday routines and health. As many people are coping with significant disruption and increasing uncertainty about their health and financial security, stress and anxiety levels are rising. It is during this time that maintaining a sense of connection, both with our professional connections and loved ones, has never been more important, even though we have never been so physically isolated.
Unfortunately, there isn’t one simple solution to create human connection, but there are digital resources available to help alleviate stress, practice self-care, and receive essential family assistance.
Get Your Mental Health Resources Digitally
Company Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits are a great option to help manage concerns during this challenging time. Many EAPs offer in-the-moment counseling to help in a time of crisis, digital resources to reduce anxiety and even assistance with identifying backup childcare for people who may be juggling work and family responsibilities.
For example, Aetna’s EAP, Resources for Living (RFL), is providing useful resources to people with stress and anxiety around COVID-19 and helping them and their families adjust to whatever their new normal looks like. These resources include webinars and videos on managing stress and anxiety and helping children to cope, and articles with tips for employees who may be working remotely to stay productive and connected to their colleagues.
RFL is also currently offering support and resources to individuals and organizations who have been impacted by coronavirus, even if they do not have it as part of their benefits package.
Aside from EAPs, there are many telebehavioral health resources available to address mental health concerns during the pandemic. For instance, services, like MyStrength, help people build resilience and learn to cope with today’s challenges, and apps, like Calm or Headspace, provide daily support with mindfulness trainings, as well as guided meditations and other resources to help manage stress and anxiety.
Additionally, many mental health providers are embracing technology and relying on telehealth services to connect with patients. To help members access these resources, Aetna is offering zero co-pay telemedicine visits until June 4, 2020, and expanding availability of several services to enable members to receive virtual mental health care.
Keep Up a Virtual Dialogue
Although EAPs can provide strategies and tools for people to adopt to help reduce stress, they cannot take the place of human connection. We are all facing disruption to our routines and coping with less physical time with friends and family, yet it can be easy for someone to feel like they are the only one having difficulty adjusting. One of the easiest ways to foster connection and provide realistic representations of this new “abnormal” is to begin a dialogue about mental health and model supportive behaviors. For instance, consider scheduling video chat calls with loved ones to check-in on how they are handling things and discuss the challenges you both may be experiencing. These informal inquiries can inspire candid conversations about mental health and push those who are struggling to implement new strategies to deal with stress or take advantage of available resources.
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted everyday life, but, thanks to technological advancements, we also have never been better prepared to provide virtual care and facilitate human connection from afar. We are all in this together, but it is only by pairing technology and a human touch that we will be able to remain connected and productive in this new environment.
Cara McNulty is the president of Aetna Behavioral Health
