Resources for Mental Health Help During COVID-19
COVID-19 has turned the world as we know it upside down. Isolation, financial stress, anxiety over getting sick—all these emotions can quickly take a heavy toll on your mental health. It’s perfectly normal to feel things like depression, anger, and disappointment during this time. When you do, be sure to turn to these resources for support.
Make Sure You’re Doing the Basics
Giving yourself space to prioritize a few coping strategies every day can help you stay calm and healthy. You may find that you feel much better when you:
Accept what you can control. Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Hinkle recommends avoiding “what if” and “if only” thoughts, as they only help build anxiety during this time of unknowns. Focus on your own choices, actions, and responses, and be patient with feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness. Read more of her tips here.
Get away from the news for a while. The CDC recommends taking breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. Inundating yourself with pandemic-related headlines can be very unnerving. You may need to consider spending extended time away from social media.
Try yoga and meditation. Tools that help guide your mindfulness and breathing are proven to improve anxiety and depression. If you’re not sure where to get started, you can try yoga classes on YouTube (we love this beginner’s 30-day program). Meditation apps like Calm and Headspace have released free guided meditations to help deal with stress related to COVID-19.
Get outside. Just twenty minutes of contact with nature can significantly lower your stress hormone levels. Make sure to practice safe physical distancing and to follow guidance from your local health authorities about restrictions to public spaces. If you are stressed about encounters with others, try going for a walk earlier in the morning.
Boost your nutrition. Did you know that 95 percent of serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract? Your diet can significantly decrease your risk for depression. Try to ration your quarantine snacks and make an effort to get more fruits and veggies in every day!
See If Your Health Insurance Covers Telehealth Visits
If the basics just aren’t cutting it, consider working with a therapist. Therapy services are easier to access than ever before (you can take your appointments right from home!) and they are designed to help you work through heightened feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness.
Mental health services are considered essential health benefits. This means that all health plans sold on government marketplaces (like HealthCare.gov) are required to help pay for services like counseling and psychotherapy. Many insurance companies have expanded this coverage to include virtual therapy visits; some are even waiving telehealth co-pays.
Use your insurer’s website to find covered telemedicine providers. Chances are you’ll be able to get help paying for a service like Teladoc or Doctor on Demand; these companies connect you 24/7 with providers who can work with you during the crisis. If you don’t see an online service you like, you can also use your insurer’s website to find local therapists. Many professionals are offering to do appointments over video chat.
When taking a telehealth appointment, you’ll want to find a quiet, private space at home. We know this can be particularly tricky during a quarantine. Consider asking your roommates or family members to give you space by heading outside or wearing headphones for an hour.
Don’t Have Health Insurance? Try These Resources.
If you don’t have a health plan that covers therapy, or if you’re not sure you can afford appointments with a therapist, take advantage of these other mental health tools:
Support Lines: Anyone can chat with a volunteer counselor on the national crisis text line for free by texting CRISIS to 741741. If you are feeling suicidal, experiencing abuse, or working through addiction, you can also reach out to support lines tailored to your situation; see this excellent list on Nurx for more information.
FQHCs: Federally Qualified Health Centers are medical centers that provide care on sliding fee scales. Many locations are currently offering telehealth counseling. Find your local center to see if they can connect you with affordable therapy services.
Therapy Apps: There are several free and low-cost apps that provide guided meditation and therapy services. Additionally, companies like Talkspace and BetterHelp offer therapy at fixed prices; they charge between $200-$300/month for almost unlimited access to a counselor.
Free Mental Health Services: Many companies are providing a wealth of free support during this time. Some services we recommend include:
Talkspace’s COVID-19 resources, including therapist-led support groups
Modern Health's free guided meditations and daily stress-management sessions
PsychHub's COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub, including extensive videos and informative articles from mental health organizations across the nation
Use Tools to Support Your Children
During this stressful time of change and confusion, your children may experience heightened depression and anxiety.
The CDC recommends watching out for stress-related changes such as:
Excessive crying in younger children
Returning to behaviors they’ve outgrown (like bedwetting)
Excessive worry
Unhealthy eating and sleeping habits
Irritability in teens
Difficulty with attention and concentration
Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past
Unexplained headaches or body pain
Ways to help your children during this time include:
Sharing the facts: Deescalate fear of the unknown by providing useful and age-appropriate information. A few resources that can help you include:
This informative video about how coronavirus works and what we can do to prevent its spread
This comic from NPR designed for children
These talking tips from PBS
Keep routines in place: The Child Mind Institute recommends sticking to a regular schedule to provide a calming sense of normalcy. Try printing out a daily schedule and incorporating fun new activities throughout the week.
Limit exposure to the news. Taking breaks from the many panic-inducing headlines can keep you calm and prevent your children from misinterpreting information.
Communicate positively. Check in with your children, empathize with their feelings, and connect them with resources, like mindfulness apps or even therapy appointments, to help them manage anxiety and depression.
Teenagers may also benefit from reaching out to Teen Line, a support line that lets them vent, share and get support from a trained teen.
For additional COVID-19 resources, check out our extensive support center here.
