The Age of Anxiety

<p><strong>Guests</strong></p> <ul> <li>Erica Schneider, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care and Operations, Soin Medical Center and Kettering Health Greene Memorial</li> <li>Ken Goodman, LCSW and Board Member, Anxiety and Depression Association of America</li> </ul> <p>The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 20.6% of US adults experienced mental illness in 2019. In August 2020 – so about 5 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of individuals reporting symptoms associated with anxiety or depression was 36.4% and in February 2021, it had climbed to 41.5%.</p> <p>This episode of <strong>Beyond the Standard</strong> looks at the emotional toll of COVID-19 on healthcare workers at two hospitals and shares the perspective of a licensed clinical social worker specializing in anxiety and depression.</p> <p><strong>Key topics</strong></p> <ul> <li>Awaiting COVID (2:50)</li> <li>Surge impact on nurses (4:30)</li> <li>“I’ll accept this calling.” (5:30)</li> <li>Self-care vs. family care (7:00)</li> <li>The double squeeze: short-staffing meets time off to be whole. (9:20)</li> <li>“I came to work to do my best.” (11:40)</li> <li>Time needed to heal (13:58)</li> <li>What makes anxiety or depression a clinical concern? (19:00)</li> <li>Anxiety and uncertainty (21:09)</li> <li>“Opportunity to engage with dark and scary thoughts” (23:00)</li> <li>Expectations for therapy (23:54)</li> <li>“We’re all in this together.” (26:16)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Referenced in the podcast</strong></p> <p>Massachusetts General Hospital: <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/guide-to-mental-health-resources">Guide to Mental Health Resources for COVID-19</a>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anxiety &amp; Depression Association of America: <a href="https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/coronavirus-anxiety-helpful-resources">COVID-19 Anxiety Resources Quiet Mind Solutions</a></p> <p>Learn more at <a href="https://www.achc.org/behavioral-health/">achc.org</a>.</p>