Skip to main content
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact

Search form

American Institutes for Research

  • Our Work
    • Education
    • Health
    • International
    • Workforce
    • ALL TOPICS >
  • Our Services
    • Research and Evaluation
    • Technical Assistance
  • Our Experts
  • News & Events

You are here

  • Home
28 May 2020
Q & A

A Quick Word with: Kathleen Guarino on Mental Health During a Health Crisis

During this period of widespread uncertainty and fear, mental health has become a popular topic in the media and in daily conversation. How has the pandemic and quarantine affected our mental health, and what strategies can people use to care for themselves?

Kathleen Guarino is a senior technical assistance consultant at AIR with expertise in child mental health, trauma, and trauma-informed care. In this Q&A, she discusses the challenges—and some unexpected opportunities—around mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine.
 

Q. Why is it particularly important to pay attention to mental health right now?

Guarino: We are all under a great deal of stress, and the state of our mental health affects everything—how we work, how we parent, how we engage with others, and how we respond to the many stressors related to this pandemic in the day-to-day. At the most basic level of the brain and body, we find ourselves in a constant struggle over which part of our nervous system is in charge—the part that helps us to stay balanced and calm, or the part in charge of our survival, that helps us to respond to stress. Under stressful circumstances, especially right now when things are frightening and uncertain, it easy to get stuck in “survival mode.” In this state, it is harder for us to manage our emotions, to deal with everyday stressors, to connect with friends and family, and to focus on our work. At this time, we have to make a concerted effort to be our own “state detectives” and practice noticing what state we are in and which strategies we can use to promote our own positive mental health and well-being.
 

Q. What are some of those effective techniques?

"Just because we’re physically separated, we don’t necessarily have to be socially isolated."

Guarino: This will vary a bit for every individual, but there are some practices that are known to help us cope with stress. These include attending to our physical health—eating well, moving our bodies, and getting good sleep—as well as our emotional health. Strategies for supporting our emotional health at this time include:

  • Limiting our media consumption;
  • Practices such as breathing, mindfulness techniques, prayer or meditation, and other body-based activities such as yoga, dance, or other forms of movement that foster awareness of our emotional states and help regulate our nervous system;
  • Building in time to do things we enjoy;
  • Finding humor and opportunities to laugh;
  • Noticing the things we are grateful for on a daily basis;
  • Practicing compassion for ourselves and others at this time;
  • Maintaining connections with friends, families, and other communities that sustain us, even in a virtual space; and
  • Creating some balance by separating work and home, especially during this time when many are working virtually and these lines are blurred.
     

Q. What are the implications of the pandemic and social distancing on mental health?

Guarino: We know that relationships and social connection are essential to positive mental health and well-being, and this was already a challenge for some people before the pandemic. If people can connect virtually, it can help to fill some of that need, even though it’s not exactly the same as in-person interaction, and it may not offer all the same benefits. Just because we’re physically separated, we don’t necessarily have to be socially isolated. People are finding all kinds of ways to stay connected to individuals and communities that are important to them. This includes video conversations with friends, virtual yoga classes, and online religious services. There are also rituals that can bring us together in larger ways, such as nightly neighborhood applause for health workers, or live concerts and other arts events that allow us to connect around a shared sense of beauty and meaning.
 

Q. What changes have occurred in the mental health field during the coronavirus pandemic? Are there any potential positive, long-term outcomes?

Guarino: There’s been a major shift to telemental health care services, and it’s an adjustment for both the people receiving care and those providing it. Online mental health therapy has potential drawbacks: For some people, there’s no substitute for in-person connection; others lack access to technology. On the other hand, some people may find online therapy to be more convenient or comfortable; they don’t have to worry about child care or transportation to and from the therapist, for example. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future, and if mental health professionals end up adopting a hybrid approach to their work based on what we learn during this time about optimizing the delivery of mental health services.

In general, the pandemic has raised awareness of mental health as a topic, especially in the media. I hope that this helps people understand that mental health is important for everyone and lessens the stigma surrounding mental health. If this pandemic were to lead to greater awareness of what it takes to support positive mental health, and greater funding and access to mental health services, that would be a potentially positive outcome.

Related Work

1 Dec 2020
Spotlight

covid19-3-18-20-lkb-small-feat.jpg

Illustration of woman with cell phone

AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. This virus, also known as COVID-19, has dramatically changed the lives of people around the globe, touching all aspects of life, from health care to education to the economy. In this new world of rapidly changing information about the virus, AIR seeks to be a source of evidence-based information that examines and begins to understand the various complexities of this crisis.
Topic: 
Education, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology for Teaching and Learning, Health, Health Cost and Coverage, Mental Health, Patient, Family, and Stakeholder Engagement, Trauma-Informed Care, Workforce, Adult Learning
15 May 2020
Brief

The Promise of Telehealth for Addressing COVID-19

The use of telehealth has increased during the current global coronavirus pandemic. The word "telehealth" is sometimes used interchangeably with "telemedicine," but these terms mean different things. This brief explores those differences, how remote health care services work and for what conditions, and what policy changes have occurred to expand access to remote health care.
Topic: 
Health, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Redesigning Healthcare Delivery
9 Oct 2020
Spotlight

mental-health-month-spotlight-5-8-18-lkb-248x165.jpg

Image of young girl getting onto a school bus

Mental Health Awareness

Raising awareness and increasing the understanding of mental health can change the way society views and responds to this complex issue. AIR promotes positive mental health through school and community-based approaches involving youth, families, school, health care providers, and other stakeholders.
Topic: 
Social and Emotional Learning, Health, Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care
13 May 2019
In the Field

What’s Changed the Most in the Mental Health Field? AIR Experts Provide Perspective in Recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month

Just like physical health, mental health is crucial to everyone’s well-being. For Mental Health Awareness Month, five AIR experts reflected on three of the biggest trends and shifts they’ve observed from their collective years in the field.
Topic: 
Health, Mental Health

Further Reading

  • AIR 2020 Year in Review: Using Evidence and Practice in Response to COVID-19
  • In Conversation: What Do Rising Rates of Anxiety and Depression Mean for Families, Schools, and Communities?
  • In Conversation: How an International Survey Can Help Us Understand the Challenges the Coronavirus Poses for Educators
  • AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources
  • Caring for America's Veterans
Share

Contact

Kathleen Guarino

Kathleen Guarino

Senior TA Consultant

Topic

Health
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Mental Health

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

About Us

About AIR
Board of Directors
Leadership
Experts
Clients
Contracting with AIR
Contact Us

Our Work

Education
Health
International
Workforce

Client Services

Research and Evaluation
Technical Assistance

News & Events

Careers at AIR


Search form


 

Connecting

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeInstagram

American Institutes for Research

1400 Crystal Drive, 10th Floor
Arlington, VA 22202-3289
Call: (202) 403-5000
Fax: (202) 403-5000

Copyright © 2020 American Institutes for Research®.  All rights reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap