The Whole Brain by Raphael Kellman, MD
While we have been preoccupied during the past 18 months with the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues have continued unabated. Depression and anxiety have, as expected, worsened in all age groups and among all socioeconomic groups. Our dramatic measures to control the infection, focusing on staying at home, has led to so much social isolation that it is difficult to gauge the extent of depression. Although unemployment is now beginning to reverse as the economy returns to pre-pandemic levels, many individuals remain traumatized by the ongoing need to mask up and curtail social activities as well as deal with the uncertainty of when life will return to normal. Getting help for depression, anxiety, and more serious psychiatric disorders is difficult especially when counseling centers have cut back on in-person services. Telemedicine and “telecounseling” are not sufficiently meeting the need. Concurrently, llicit drug use with its increased risk of suicidal overdose has worsened. Clearly primary care practitioners are being asked to take on a much greater role as psychiatrist, counselor, and social worker. What can be brought into the office to make this task any easier?
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