WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mental health is an essential part of a person’s overall health and well-being. Promoting good mental health is more important than ever as Americans continue to battle the COVID-19 crisis. That is why America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has joined Psych Hub, the COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub coalition.
Co-founded by former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy and Psych Hub president and CEO Marjorie Morrison, Psych Hub was created to address the desperate need for quality and engaging online education on timely and essential topics including mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention. With resources to address the needs of every audience, Psych Hub has one of the world’s largest online platform for digital education on mental health issues Americans are facing during COVID-19.
“Overcoming the COVID-19 crisis requires a far-reaching and coordinated response,” said Matt Eyles, president and CEO of AHIP. “We are proud and honored to join other health care leaders and mental health experts in our partnership with Psych Hub. By sharing resources and learnings, we expand health insurance providers’ decisive actions to help patients and support their overall health by connecting them with valuable resources.”
Every day, health insurance providers work with people, providers, and communities to ensure access to mental health care and support. Those resources have become critical during the COVID-19 crisis. Social distancing requirements may lead to more people feeling lonely, anxious or overwhelmed. People battling substance use disorder may find it more challenging to access the ongoing care and support they need. Health insurance providers are reaching out to more members, especially those at high risk, expanding telehealth, and creating new programs to support good mental health.
The Resource Hub: An Essential Link to Mental Wellness
The novel coronavirus is having a detrimental impact on America’s mental health: 63% of respondents surveyed by the NORC at the University of Chicago reported feeling anxious, depressed, lonely, or hopeless within the past week—and younger adults and women were the most likely to report feeling emotionally impacted. Additionally, suicide hotlines are fielding a growing number of calls every day. Amid this fear and uncertainty we are all experiencing, the partners of the COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub have made a careful effort to curate information to show that no one is in this fight alone.
The Resource Hub is an ever-growing package of free digital resources to help individuals and providers address their mental health needs during COVID-19. The online collection comprises video resources produced by Psych Hub, as well as written and visual resources developed by each partner organization, which are designed to help viewers maintain their well-being and cope with mental health concerns during a global crisis. The resources serve every audience, including adolescents, parents and caregivers, employers, families and friends, health care providers and support staff, seniors, teachers, Veterans, and more.
Since its launch on April 7, 2020, nearly 200,000 people have visited the Resource Hub to find tools to address their mental health needs. Additional videos have been released, including free courses for health care providers on avoiding burnout and best practices for using tele-mental health.
“Psych Hub is honored to stand alongside this impressive group of organizations and companies to bring trustworthy, evidence-based resources to our nation during these trying times,” said Marjorie Morrison, president and CEO of Psych Hub. “The mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are serious and will be long-lasting, so it’s imperative that we get ahead of this crisis and prioritize prevention and early intervention care when possible.”
AHIP joins more than 20 of the nation’s leading advocacy nonprofits, health insurance providers, and public and private sector partners on the Resource Hub coalition.
To view a full list of partners and to access the free COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub, please visit https://psychhub.com/covid-19/.
Learn more about health insurance providers’ decisive actions to help Americans overcome the COVID-19 crisis.
About AHIP
AHIP is the national association whose members provide coverage for health care and related services to hundreds of millions of Americans every day. Through these solutions, we improve and protect the health and financial security of consumers, families, businesses, communities and the nation. We are committed to market-based solutions and public-private partnerships that improve affordability, value, access, and well-being for consumers. Visit www.ahip.org for more information.