Gov. Cuomo Plans to Address Mental Health After Announcing More Than 10,000 Coronavirus Cases in New York State

In a press conference on Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state is working to set up a network in which people can speak to mental health professionals about the emotional toll of the COVID-19 crisis. He asked the professional mental health community — including psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists — to volunteer their time to get the network up and running. Sessions would be held over the phone or on over video chat, he explained. He said that if they get enough volunteers, New York state will set up a Mental Health Electronic Help Center. Mental health is a vital part of public health. We're asking psychologists and therapists to pitch in and volunteer their services to help with New York's #Coronavirus response. To sign up, visit: https://t.co/4LJxeIdhRE Stress and anxiety are very real. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 21, 2020 The initiative is the first move by a U.S. state government to try to address the mental health consequences that have arisen from the COVID-19 crisis. “We talk about the economic consequences, but we also need to talk about the social consequences,” he said. “But the stress, the anxiety, the emotions that are provoked by this crisis are truly significant, and people are struggling with the emotions as much as they are struggling with the economics.” “They’re nervous, they’re anxious, they’re isolated. It can bring all sorts of emotions and feel...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 News Desk Source Type: news