To better understand behavioral health as a cost driver, McKinsey analyzed national insurance entitlements data and found that 60{98fb4bf09eaa45a12be049e9b912c2b8e14853fbaec93f03ba25c1f88cf4bcba} of total medical expenses are borne by members with mental disorders and substance use.
The cost of treating diabetes patients with depression is a direct result of limited access to preventive care for people with mental illness. Moreover, people suffering from existing diseases such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are behaving more aggressively, placing further strain on the health-care system, and increasing costs in an already unprecedented economic downturn.
The impact of COVID-19
As governments struggle to contain COVID 19, it is important to know what measures society can take to mitigate the impact of behavioral disorders on public health and the health system.
As the pandemic continues, ongoing and necessary public health measures expose many people to situations associated with poor mental outcomes such as depression and drug use.
The ongoing COVID 19 pandemic has led to many quarantine and social isolation measures aimed at keeping people physically separated from each other for the foreseeable future. Although these initiatives are necessary to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, they have caused widespread psychological effects, including depression and loneliness, in young and old people alike.
Children are particularly challenged by the lack of structure associated with the closure of schools, which has a direct impact on children’s mental health and social and emotional well-being.
The challenge of mental health
In the general population, mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder have become common problems. There are several challenges facing recruiters of healthcare professionals like https://mascmedical.com and the mental health system in general, such as the lack of access to appropriate treatment for mental illness and the high prevalence of mental illness in children and adolescents.
The psychological consequences of COVID 19 will likely become a major threat to human health and affect the well-being and productivity of billions of people in the coming decades.
If left untreated, the psychiatric consequences of this pandemic will have a significant impact on all areas of human life, including health care, education, employment, social and economic development, and the environment.
What’s more, the ongoing psychological impact could affect the quality of life and negatively affect our ability to care for patients in the future.
A robust response is needed
The development and implementation of programs to strengthen resilience and treat people who are struggling with the mental and health consequences of COVID 19 deserve the same urgent priority now being given to the development and testing of vaccines and antiviral drugs.
The health and financial costs of COVID 19 have led to significant changes in the lives of healthcare professionals over which we have little control. It is essential to study the effects of stress developed under COVID 19 and its associated burden on the mental and physical health of individuals.
In short…
We may be looking at a perfect storm, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and an increase in suicidal ideology and other related behaviors.
People who had a mental illness before COVID-19 are now facing even greater challenges, it is essential that healthcare professionals and systems are prepared and equipped to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic.