Pandemics and Telemedicine

Damian Sendler on the impact of pandemics and telemedicine: In the age of technology, people have a false sense of security that they have access to all sorts of information and services. What recent weeks have shown is that we are not safe at all. Whether you are a patient or a medical provider, their risk of losing health and the age of viral infections is scarier than anything else we have seen before. The reason why the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 virus is so scary is that despite having access to all the resources, most people are helpless. 

It seemed that the availability of Internet power technologies would empower people in this pandemic. However, it seems that it is quite the opposite – many people are vulnerable an exploit it because of untruthful news circulating on the Internet . Furthermore, there are many predators who are attempting to exploit people and their vulnerabilities. What is even more scary is that millions and millions of people have been locked into their homes and confined into very limited availability of truthful information about the health consequences of the ongoing pandemic. These circumstances make the lives of people dealing with psychological distress and psychiatric illness especially dangerous. 

Damian Sendler Research, related: What is zoophilia?

People who deal with mental illness are simply not ready for this sort of forced quarantine and the lack of evidence-based information. While governments around the world are making attempts to educate the public And provide prophylactic measures to improve the well-being of the citizens, it seems that the biggest burden that people experience is psychological distress. People are social beings and I’m not well equipped to just sit home and do nothing, while the entire world seemingly falls apart. 

Mental Health Support

It is surprising that we do not see any psychiatrists educating the public about mental health being in the age of pandemic. We see a lot of physicians representing specialties of infectious diseases and lung medicine, but we do not see the frontmen of medicine who have exceptional communication skills and who should be educating the public about how to stay healthy.  Mental health professionals have all the interpersonal tools needed to calm people down and to soothe their fears. There needs to be a level of information exchange between these types of providers and the public. Most people likely don’t even care about how the virus works in terms of its disease mechanisms. people turn on their TV’s to listen to government figures that can calm them down, tell them that everything is going to be OK. It is surprising that those soothing voices come from governors and city mayors. Our mental health workforce should be involved in providing support for those in need.  

Damian Sendler Research, related: What is health information seeking behavior?

It is important to organize mental health providers willing to educate the public about the mental health risks associated with pandemics. People need to recognize that one reason why so many people explore the news these days is to find some sort of hope and support. People who are left alone at home, who might not have friends or family near them , are looking for ways to connect with others and to reinforce the understanding that everything will be OK periods therefore there needs to be a coalition of mental health providers come up willing to come forward and educate people about various self help measures that can improve the mental well-being of the millions currently imprisoned at home.