Resources to Support Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Outbreak and Climate Crises

Welcome!

This site of resources for coping and emotional health has been developed for the benefit of our whole community - UCSF staff, faculty, students, patients, providers, Bay Area families, and the public at large. Please share it with others. This is a very challenging time and we all must step up to maintain our well-being and help one another. We are here to support you.

This is an evolving, living website that will be updated to respond to the emerging demands of the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented natural disasters stemming from climate change. We have tried to address special situations and mental health needs caused or worsened by these crises. On this site, our faculty offer their best advice and resources on how to maintain good mental health while practicing physical distancing, particularly during this period of “shelter in place.” We are all flooded with information and advice, so we have curated the information for you and your loved ones. There are many links to online wellness resources, prioritizing those that are free. If you have suggestions for additional content, please let us know us at [email protected].

Medical information about COVID-19 can be found at coronavirus.ucsf.edu.

Protecting your own wellness will also help those around you. Together we can become a more stress resilient community during this difficult period. Stay well and safe.

With warm regards,
UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

A note to frontline providers

Those of you who are working with patients need extra support. You are heroes of this pandemic. You are likely to be facing both personal and professional challenges, and it is essential that you continue self-care and take breaks. Please consider immediately using one of the high-quality digital health apps, now free to providers, that can support your mental health or one of the referral resources for counseling.

Further resources for UCSF community members can be found at coronavirus.ucsf.edu/emotional-health-wellbeing-resources. UCSF Health faculty, staff, and learners can also request to speak with a trained peer supporter to help you or your team through the Caring for the Caregiver Program.

The San Francisco VA Health Care System has also assembled a comprehensive mental health resource list for health care providers, including these quick self-care tips for you as a provider and as a human being. You can see videos from our weekly webinar series.

Many patients are coming to non-mental health clinical settings to report mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, insomnia) during this crisis. In addition, we have seen an increase in interpersonal violence and alcohol/drug misuse. Here are some resources and recommendations for your patients:

• Conduct an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) screening at each clinical visit
• Provide interpersonal violence resources to all women in the after visit summary
• Provide self-management tools for anxiety and insomnia

As health care providers, we know that you may be struggling yourself with these issues. Please remember how important it is to care for yourself as well during this difficult time. If you are a UCSF provider, please see the information below for more information on how we can support you.

Our department, in partnership with UCSF Human Resources and the Center for Digital Health Innovation, has also launched a new program specifically for UCSF faculty, staff, and trainees — the UCSF Employee Coping and Resiliency Program — to provide additional support to our valued colleagues who are experiencing anxiety, stress, and distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on work and family life.

Site contents

1. Useful mental health apps
2. Emotional well-being and coping during COVID-19
   • Tips for everyone
   • Cognitive and somatic coping
   • Trauma, moral injury, and grief
   • Maintaining good sleep
   • Maintaining physical activity
   • Online stress reduction resources
3. Seeking help: Resources for clinical anxiety and mental health issues
   • Resources for the UCSF community
   • Resources for all (public and UCSF)
4. Families
   • How to talk to children about COVID19
   • Helping children cope
     • Tips and resources to help children with fear
     • Full resource sheets from other organizations
   • Living well: Family harmony while under shelter at home
   • For families with mental health challenges
   • Learning resources and home-schooling support
   • How to survive while maintaining distance: Activities during the Bay Area shelter in place
   • Staying well during pregnancy
5. Maintaining wellness for older adults and caregivers
   • Tips for older adults living at home
   • Starting your day
   • Find a time to exercise
   • Stay connected
   • Start a project that inspires you
   • Take care of your mental health
6. Practical resources for low-income and other groups
   • Low income families and individuals
   • Resources for undocumented individuals
   • Resources for immigrants
   • Multilingual resources
7. Anti-racism resources
   • Resources for engaging in anti-racism work and practicing solidarity
   • Resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to engage in self-care
   • Videos and webinars addressing racism
8. Coping with wildfires and climate change crises
   • Preparing psychologically for climate crises
   • Protecting your mental health during fires and climate disasters
   • Protecting yourself before, during, and after a wildfire
   • Protecting yourself from extreme heat
      

This coping guide was created by the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences COVID-19 Community and Coping Communications Working Group with the tremendous collaborative effort of many additional experts. The guide is managed by department communications director Nicholas Roznovsky, and Elissa Epel, PhD, with the UCSF AME Center (including Elena Fromer and Samantha Schilf). Please email any comments or suggestions to [email protected].

Special acknowledgements to those who contributed content and resources, including David Bullard, PhD (grief); Nicole Bush, PhD (children); Whitney Ence, PhD (autism); Elissa Epel, PhD (emotional well-being and coping); Sharon Epel, LMFT (family); Jennifer Felder, PhD (pregnancy); Elena Fromer (family, resources); Lauren Haack, PhD (ADHD); Elissa Hamlat, PhD (resources); Steve Hinshaw, PhD (children); Mardi Horowitz, MD (grief); Bryan King, MD, MBA (family); Alicia Lieberman, PhD (children); Jennifer Ly (ADHD); Shira Maguen, PhD (moral injury); Christina Mangurian, MD (resources); William Martinez, MD (social needs and mental health); B.J. Miller, MD (grief); Aric Prather, PhD (sleep); Mike Rabow, MD (grief); Danielle Roubinov, PhD (children); Jason Satterfield, PhD (resources); Samantha Schilf (family, resources); Andrea Seritan, MD (geriatrics); Esme Shaller (children); Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD (resources); and Lowell Tong, MD (resources).