In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been focused on the immediate effects — the physical health, the deaths, the isolation. But the long-term psychological scars of COVID-19 have yet to be determined. The question isn’t if this pandemic will leave psychological scars but how big and complex will they be.

And we can already see the short-term effects this crisis is having on people’s mental health. A recent study found that Chinese health care workers on the COVID-19 front lines are experiencing increased depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress. The researchers stressed the importance of protecting health care workers during this pandemic and concluded that special interventions to promote mental well-being for health care workers exposed to COVID-19 should be implemented immediately.

The impending mental health crisis

Health care workers are in survival mode as they deal with the immediate surge of COVID-19 cases. They are trained to set aside their emotions to handle the job at hand. But as the crisis stabilizes, they may be overwhelmed by their emotions and experiences.

Dr. Shaili Jain, a psychiatrist, predicts three mental health crises that will need to be addressed in the aftermath of the pandemic:

• Coping with COVID-19 deaths
• Dealing with the effects of economic adversity (Studies show that massive unemployment and financial distress often increases PTSD and abusive behavior in families.)
• Helping health care workers process their grief, their emotions, and the psychological toll of being on the front lines of this crisis

Lessons learned from previous disasters can teach us how to prepare to handle this one. Dr. Jain admires London’s program to “screen and treat” individuals after the 2005 London terrorism bombings. They identified people who were traumatized, advertised mental health resources through national and local media, and established a hotline to locate and direct those in need to help.

They didn’t wait for people to ask for help. They sought them out. This approach would work well with health care workers who are often reluctant to seek care because of the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

As the American Psychological Association points out, the 2003 SARS outbreak revealed long-term stress in health care workers. Two strategies that improved resilience were the stress appraisal and coping framework and psychological first aid.

Making mental health a priority

Some hospitals have started to make mental health a priority. They are offering virtual counseling, wellness workshops, respite stations (with snacks and information about mental health support), and animal-assisted therapy.

Peer support also plays a large role in helping health care workers decompress and process their emotions. Some health care units are hosting virtual hangouts or support groups. A group of health care providers started an Instagram page to connect providers who are going through similar experiences.

Despite the success of some of these efforts, others have been met with disinterest or limited demand. This makes some worry of a future mental health crash.

Dr. Wendy Dean, a psychiatrist and cofounder of Moral Injury of Healthcare, provides five basic approaches to recovery:

• Ease up. Prepare lighter schedules and backup coverage for health care workers so they can have time to process their experiences.
• Check in and mean it. Health care organizations should ensure worker’s mental well-being, not just their physical well-being.
• Provide support. Find ways to let staff support each other and also partner with community agencies and other providers.
• Listen. Organizations should listen and learn from feedback about their COVID-19 response.
• It won’t be business as usual. Don’t dismiss the experiences many people faced during this crisis. Instead, prepare for the mental health aftermath of this pandemic.

As a society, we tend to only realize the importance of mental health during a crisis or when it’s a little too late. Instead, our goal should be preventative care. Going forward therapists can help prepare people for the longer psychological struggles that lie ahead.