Impact of COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts on Adults With Serious Mental Illness

• DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001389
• Publication Date: 2021-06-11T17:04:37Z
• Authors: Ivy Benjenk; Zeina Saliba; Neel Duggal; Asmaa Albaroudi; Jacqueline Posada; Jie Chen
• Keywords: Thematic Analysis; Pandemic; Social distance

In response to COVID-19 mitigation policies, mental health and social service agencies have had rapidly change their operations, creating challenges for patients with serious illness (SMI). This study aimed explore the experiences of adults SMI navigating these altered systems during pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted 20 hospitalized in fall 2020; they coded using thematic analysis. Most participants found new effective at meeting essential needs. However, several reported significant unmet needs, including inability access care public benefits. These lacked identification documents, housing, and/or a personal device. Although none used telemedicine before COVID-19, most no or minimal problems telemental health. Those reporting difficulties did not devices, receiving audio-only services, viewed as less too distracting.