Mr. prime minister, we need help with decline in nation's mental health

There is little talk regarding a consequence of the virus that could suffer the most damage: mental health.

By DOV LIPMAN
An Israeli family sits on the steps outside their apartment building in Jerusalem, as they stay at home with their children during a nation-wide quarantine, on March 31, 2020. (photo credit: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90)
An Israeli family sits on the steps outside their apartment building in Jerusalem, as they stay at home with their children during a nation-wide quarantine, on March 31, 2020.
(photo credit: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90)
Mr. prime minister, we need you
We have no way to assess how bad the final damage to Israel will be by the time the coronavirus crisis ends. But while economic and health experts weigh in daily on how to save the country medically and financially, there is little talk regarding a consequence of the virus that could suffer the most damage: mental health.
The requests for assistance I receive from English-speaking immigrants have changed over the last few weeks, and they point to a massive mental health crisis on the rise. In an indication of the potential degree of this crisis, leading rabbis, including ultra-Orthodox spiritual leader Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, issued an allowance for those who need emotional uplifting to listen to music during the Three Weeks, or Bein ha-Metzarim, the traditional period of mourning for the destruction of the first and second Temples.
I turned to Dr. Ethan Eisen, a licensed clinical psychologist who has been giving on-line mental health presentations throughout the COVID-19 crisis, to learn more. His reply confirmed my worst fears.
“When the virus first emerged, there was a great deal of speculation regarding what kind of mental health impact the pandemic might have,” he said.
“Unfortunately, as the data are coming out, it’s almost like if you can name it, it’s happening. Aside from anxiety about getting sick, prolonged isolation and economic pressure are leading to increases in drug-related deaths, suicides, family discord and domestic abuse. We also know that the longer this goes on, the worse it can be, as severe depression and anxiety, substance abuse and divorce are devastating outcomes that can emerge months or years down the road.”
Eisen said there were problems on multiple levels in addressing the difficulties, including the inability of citizens to turn to professionals.
“During a crisis, many people do not seek out mental health services. They are often too focused on getting by day-to-day,” said Eisen. “Second, mental health services cost money, and as people feel the extended economic strain, mental health support is often viewed as non-essential.”
Eisen explained that when people do turn to mental health professionals for help, he and his colleagues can “play a role in mitigating these painful circumstances; but the most effective solutions are often political or societal – how communities can create spaces to safely connect the most vulnerable, and how government programs support the unemployed to relive the most severe economic distress. When given the opportunity, most people can be resilient, but they need to have access to the tools to help keep themselves afloat.”
I thought back to an encounter I had a couple of weeks ago as I was entering the Knesset for a meeting, stopping to talk to people who were demonstrating against the government’s weak economic support during this crisis.
One of the protest leaders told me that his complaint and his biggest source of stress relates to the unknown: He doesn’t know how much money he will be getting from the government and for how long, causing him anxiety over his financial future. If he knew what his situation was and will be, he said, then he can figure out a plan.
THAT MADE me realize the critical role that leaders must play, not just in formulating health and economic plans, but also in raising the spirits of the people. Eisen concurred.
“One of the things that increases anxiety is uncertainty about how long this will go on, and whether there is an end in sight,” he explained. “People can often push through a period of adversity if they have a sense of what is in store. But when communication from the leadership is poor, that serves to exacerbate the already challenging circumstances because people have no sense of the duration or extent of the current crisis.”
I immediately pictured New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in front of reporters on live broadcasts to the people of his state for 111 straight days. Those appearances were not simply news conferences, they also provided a struggling city with hope and healing.
The governor first and foremost showed charts, maps and data that demonstrated a complete mastery over the hell that New Yorkers were suffering. But he also talked as a human being, sharing anecdotes, offering condolences, words of wisdom, and very personal thoughts and feelings of what he too was going through.
Some commentators even compared those appearances to Franklin Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” during the Great Depression, which provided Americans with the reassurance they so desperately needed.
The 59,000,000 people who watched Cuomo over those three-and-a-half months were left without confusion: They saw his slides and graphs and understood exactly what was happening, what the rules were, what procedures the state was operating under and the strategies and phases guiding its reopening. And they heard the bad and good news unfiltered, straight from their leader on a daily basis. There is a reason 59 million people from around the world tuned in.
The coronavirus isn’t going anywhere. Despite the current near-full shutdown, which we hope will soon give way to a gradual reopening with clear rules and strict enforcement, the cycle will most likely repeat itself, perhaps numerous times. This is the unknown we’re all up against.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu communicated quite regularly with the people of Israel during the first wave. He must get back to it, but with even greater frequency. Right now, daily would be good. A one-time appearance announcing a one-time stipend for all Israelis like he did on Wednesday night is not nearly enough.
Hearing from their prime minister on a regular basis would help put Israelis in a better position to weather corona’s mental health challenges, and adjust to a new “corona way of life.” Not only should those televised appearances update everyone on the specifics of the health situation, the economic situation, and the latest Health Ministry guidelines, but more importantly, they must exude sympathy and empathy, provide confidence, and serve as a constant source of hope.
Mr. prime minister, we need this from you. Please.
The writer served as a member of the 19th Knesset.