CHAT RECAP: Mental Health and what people may be experiencing specific to COVID pandemic

On Thursday, April 23, mental health experts from Capital Health participated in a Facebook Live chat, answering viewer questions regarding COVID-19 pandemic related mental health questions.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. How you respond to the outbreak can depend on your background, the things that make you different from other people, and the community you live in.

People who may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis include:

· Older people and people with chronic diseases who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19

· Children and teens

· People who are helping with the response to COVID-19, like doctors, other health care providers, and first responders

· People who have mental health conditions including problems with substance use

Christi Weston, MD PhD

Director of Outpatient Psychiatry

Victoria Pena-Cardinali, LCSW

Outpatient Clinical Coordinator

Victoria is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 18 years of practice experience in clinical social work. She graduated from New York University in 2001 and joined Capital Health in 2009 at the Capital Institute for Neurosciences, providing psychotherapy and case management to patients with neurological conditions and chronic pain. Victoria specializes in treating adults experiencing depression and anxiety related to stress, loss, life transitions, chronic illness, chronic pain and trauma. Her psychotherapeutic approach utilizes cognitive behavioral, eclectic, interpersonal, psychodynamic, narrative, and strengths-based therapy techniques.