Geller Testifies Before Subcommittee on Mental Health During Pandemic

During a virtual U.S. House subcommitteehearing today, APA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H., urged Congress to take action to curb the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.“We expect that, even after the infectious aspect of this pandemic is over, we’re going to have a mental health pandemic that could go on for quite some time,” Geller told the U.S. House Committee on Energy& Commerce ’s Subcommittee on Health.The hearing, titled “High Anxiety and Stress: Legislation to Improve Mental Health During Crisis,” addressed 22 pieces of legislation related to mental health care pending before Congress. Geller expressed APA’s support for legislation that would achieve the following:Require the Department of Health and Human Services to collect, analyze, and make publicly available data on race and ethnicity related to COVID-19 testing, hospitalization, and mortality as well as the mental health effects of the pandemic.Enforce the parity law, which requires insurers to cover mental health at the same levels as physical health.Continue expanded telehealth rules beyond the COVID-19 emergency.Strengthen congressional efforts to prevent suicide.Ensure that patients who present in the Emergency Department with suicidal ideation or who have attempted suicide are screened and referred to appropriate mental health treatment.Boost resources for call centers, 24/7 mobile crisis units, and crisis stabilization programs.Geller especially expressed APA ’s suppor...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: call centers COVID-19 hearing Jeffrey Geller Medicare mental health parity psychologists suicide telemental health U.S. House Commitee on Energy & Commerce Source Type: research