In this episode, Dr. O’Connell and Dr. Grande discuss how the Coronavirus and it’s accompanying quarantine measures are impacting the mental well-being of those stuck at home. Throughout this episode we answer questions such as:How is the approach different at this time compared to treating cases of anxiety not related to a pandemic?What other types of mental health issues are being seen in light of current events?What are the long term psychological effects from a pandemic?Anxiety is on the rise as people try to process the current state of the world. There is also a rise of obsessive behaviors, acute stress disorder, depression, and a variety of other mental health struggles. Dr. Grande points out the recently "laxed" laws regarding tele-health, and the increased access to mental health counseling and services through this format, makes it easier than ever to get the help you may need during these trying times. The amount of information can be overwhelming and there is a high level of uncertainty as the situation evolves everyday. People may consume a lot of information but draw improper conclusions from it. The link between mind and body is a strong one and the mental health distress can have a direct consequence on physical health and make people more susceptible to become ill. Dr. Grande encourages people to focus on what they can do to protect themselves and try to reduce risk. We are urging people to keep in mind that there is a reason to look to the future and know things will improve.Your host is Dr. Ted O’Connell, family physician, educator, and author of numerous textbooks and peer-reviewed articles. He holds academic appointments at UCSF, UC Davis, and Drexel University's medical schools and also founded the Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Community Medicine and Global Health Fellowship, the first program in the U.S. to formally combine both community medicine and global health. Check Ted out on Instagram (@tedoconnellmd) and Twitter (@tedoconnell)! Dr. Todd Grande has a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision and is a licensed professional counselor of mental health as well as a licensed chemical dependency professional. His YouTube channel covers a variety of mental health topics from a scientifically informed perspective. He has also partnered with Ars Longa Media to turn his content into a podcast: True Crime Psychology and Personality. Submit Your Questions for the PodcastSend an email to [email protected] or check out covidpodcast.comWhat Can You Do? You can help spread commonsense about COVID-19 by supporting this podcast. Hit subscribe, leave a positive review, and share it with your friends especially on social media. We can each do our part to ensure that scientifically accurate information about the pandemic spreads faster than rumors or fears. Remember to be vigilant, but remain calm. For the most trusted and real time information on COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic, both the CDC and WHO have dedicated web pages to keep the public informed. The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Produced by Madison Linden and Christopher BreitiganExecutive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD 

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