They make available 6,000 volunteers in the area of mental health, in the face of the emotional stress that affects, without exception, all New Yorkers
Imagine everything that goes through the minds of those we lost our job and we also don’t have papers to receive benefitsThose of us who have children begin to see the empty fridge. This is to go crazy, brother. “
The concern of Salvadoran construction worker Juan Garrido, 42, possibly multiplies in all corners, in different ways, in thousands of Hispanic families in the Big Apple, materially and emotionally affected by the side effects that the epidemic of coronavirus.
If in addition recent surveys of the Graduate Schools of Public Health (CUNY SPH) who point out that 41% of those who reported losing their job in New York, in the midst of this crisis, are of Hispanic origin, it is not difficult to conclude the emotional devastation that could be surrounding thousands of families.
Of every five people who lost their sources of income, due to the closure measures that forced the rapid expansion of COVID-19, two are latinas.
He Peruvian lawyer Luis Rosas, 42, lives in Manhattan. He has not lost his job, but hears rumors that the transnational company he works for will begin reductions of all kinds next week, when two weeks of social isolation are celebrated.
“Maybe I am not sick from the coronavirus or maybe yes, but in a slight way, but what I can tell you is that this situation destroys my tranquility. You get the impression that everything is falling apart. Look out and see the city this way. You are afraid to touch something. You are seeing the virus everywhere. You turn on the TV and you don’t see a solution. When an email arrives from the office, you already think it’s the end, “confesses Luis.
But for others the tension is not associated with money, because contradictory, the emergency has brought him the possibility of working longer hours.
He 38-year-old Guatemalan nurse “Pedro” who works at a public hospital in Queens, where two days ago he began to observe an immense number of patients with respiratory symptoms, he says that sadly he begins to “feel powerless professionally because the There are too many patients and the capacity for attention is minimal. ”
“Pedro” says that that generates stress at work terrible to his team in emergency room.
“It is as if we are in a war. Patients come and go. First you have to protect yourself, your family and to continue in this battle. Second, there are the cases that doctors have to check from highest to lowest severity in their charts, to attend to them first. It is very tense to work under this scheme ”, comments the health professional.
New emotional support resources
The City Health authorities they are clear that the appearance or exacerbation of anxiety and stress pictures is a predictable scenario before a situation that continues to affect in some way, without exception, each of New Yorkers.
And faced with this dynamic that could ignite a scenario of serious mental health problems, the City Health Department (DOHMH) released this week a guide, in several languages: How to deal with stress and social distance during the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19).
“All of this can increase the stress of the situation we are in. Feeling overwhelmed, sad, anxious, or scared, or experiencing other symptoms of distress, such as trouble sleeping, this is all natural”, Specifies the document available on the web nyc.gov/coronavirus.
DOHMH within the ThriveNYC program has reinforced other initiatives for the care and prevention of mental disorders.
On a permanent basis, the City offers an entire mental health aid program for those New Yorkers who are suffering from stress, depression and anxiety, called NYC Well. Through various resources such as chat, support lines and the possibility of personal counseling, You can count on advice channels with professionals in the field.
In this same direction, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last Wednesday that to date, 6,000 volunteer mental health professionals have signed up to provide free online mental health services.
According to many reports prior to the coronavirus crisis, handled by health authorities, Hispanics have higher rates of depression (12%) than white New Yorkers (8%) for citing just one disorder.
Connect with free resources:
- New Yorkers can call the New York State Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to schedule a free professional consultation and in your language, in case you feel any emotional problem due to the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus.
- Send the word “Well” to 65173 and browse the mental health programs offered by the City Department of Health. You can also call 1-888-NYC-Well.
- Express your opinion when you hear false rumors or negative stereotypes that encourage or promote racism and xenophobia. If you are harassed because of your race, country of origin, or other forms with which you identify, call 311 or visit the website of the Commission on New York City Human Rights and file a complaint online.
- You can also visit nyc.gov/nycwell and click on their Library application to find online applications and tools that help you manage your health and emotional well-being from your home.
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