SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton: A Silver Lining Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Press release from SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton:

July 15, 2022

A silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic? That probably caught your eye. But truly, there is a silver lining, and that is increasing awareness about mental health for expectant moms. We hear about it, and we talk about it almost daily. This is because of how the pandemic has impacted mental health.

Even though more people than ever endorse and acknowledge anxiety, we still need to manage the symptoms. Most everyone we know expected to be “out of this” by this time, so these “unprecedented times” have settled in and so have anxiety and depression.

Virtual doctor and therapy visits have become common terminology and occurrences. I definitely agree with the value of 1:1 in-person counseling/psychotherapy but virtual visits have made mental health help more accessible, even for busy parents. There is less time required (drive time), no transportation issues, often not the same child care challenges and people are often more comfortable in their own home. As long as the therapist is licensed in the state where you reside they can see you virtually, even if they are in another city.

Most therapists are still offering telehealth and many will make it a permanent option. If you feel that your daily functioning is impacted, please take the time to look for a mental health provider, ideally, someone with certification/experience in Perinatal Mental Health who can best address your mental health needs.

Learn more about the All of You Matters program at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon St. Louis Fetal Care Institute, run by the author of this blog series Valerie Akerson, MSW, LCSW.

This press release was produced by SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.