QCI COVID-19 & Patient Care Serving Maryland residents of:
In our community: NEW! Emergency Rental Assistance Program Fair October 9, 2021  10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Langley Park Community Center 1500 Merrimac Drive Hyattsville, MD 20783 _______________ NEW! Community Grocery Giveaway October 14, 2021  NEW! Expungement Fair: Don't Let a Criminal Record be a Barrier to You Success October 23, 2021  _______________ CovidCONNECT Support Groups  Organized by NAMI Maryland in partnership with Maryland 211 and BHA, this group offers virtual support for those who have had COVID-19. Trained peer facilitators host small groups sessions twice a month to provide support for Marylanders interested in connecting with others to talk about the challenges of recovering from this disease. Hosted every other Thursday, (6:30 to 8 p.m.) Visit CovidCONNECT and scroll down to Virtual Support Groups to learn more and to register. _______________ Coping with bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic Oct. 5, 2021 _______________ For Maryland COVID-19 Vaccine Information go to covidLINK _______________ | Washington Goes Purple  _________________________________ _________________________________ Washington Goes Purple is a substance abuse awareness campaign to educate our youth and community about the dangers of prescription painkillers. Did you know the CDC estimates that 75-82% of heroin users begin with prescription painkillers? It's time to start having the "new conversation" in our community- one that includes the dangers of prescription painkillers. Having open, honest conversations educating our kids about the dangers of prescription pill misuse, drugs and alcohol gives them the tools needed to make healthy decisions and prevent addiction. As a community, we must work to eliminate stigma so that people who are struggling with substance use or mental health issues are not afraid to reach out to receive help! To learn more, visit https://www.washingtongoespurple.com/. Why Mental Health Improved for Many Adults After Their 1st COVID-19 Shot  A new study reports that people who received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine had improved mental health. However, those who had yet not received it felt even more mental distress. Experts say the vaccines provided people with hope for an end to the pandemic. They also counteracted feelings of powerlessness against the disease. When you received your first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, did you feel a sense of relief? A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that this was a common feeling for many people in the United States. Survey participants reported feeling less depression and anxiety after receiving their initial dose of a vaccine. However, those who had not yet received their first dose actually reported feeling even more mental distress. Vaccines restore hope after a stressful time Jennifer A. King, DSW, LISW, assistant professor and co-director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity at Case Western Reserve University, said she feels that improvements were seen in people’s mental health because the vaccines offered people hope. “Across demographics, we’ve seen increases in anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and, most notably, staggeringly high rates of trauma-related symptoms,” she said. “Add to that the grief incurred by major losses (death, economic loss, loss of control, loss of identity), the forced isolation of lockdown and quarantines, and the sustained high levels of stress that are related to all of this, and it is easy to see why many, many of us are not OK.” King said that after months of uncertainly and unpredictability, the vaccines brought hope because an end to the pandemic appeared to be in sight. King also noted that anxiety is often related to a lack of control and a sense of powerlessness. Taking action, such as getting a vaccine, is an antidote to powerlessness, she explained. Study lead author Francisco Perez-Arce, PhD, an economist with the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) agreed that the availability of vaccines made people feel more optimistic about the course of the disease. “Results from the Understanding Coronavirus in America Study show very steep rises in mental distress at the very beginning of the pandemic (from March to April 2020),” he said. He noted that since then, there has been recovery as people have adapted to the pandemic. “This study shows that after they became available, vaccinations helped to improve mental health further by reducing concerns about getting the disease,” Perez-Arce said. He further noted that receiving the vaccine may improve people’s economic outlook and enable people to resume their previous activities, such as socializing and returning to in-person work, which have also been sources of depression and anxiety during the pandemic. King added that it’s important to realize that all responses to the stress of COVID-19 are valid. “There is nothing wrong with you if you’re feeling more worried or more scared or sadder or angrier,” she said. “You are responding normally to abnormal circumstances. Be gentle with yourselves and with each other.” Partial Article: healthline.com Photo credit: Getty Images  CARF International, a group of companies that includes CARF Canada and CARF Europe, is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. Toll free (888) 281-6531. www.carf.org If you are experiencing a mental health medical emergency, call 911 or go immediately to the closest emergency room. |
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