COVID-19: Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Your body supports you in everything you do, from everyday activities like grocery shopping to milestones and memories with friends and family. 

But while you may make sure you eat healthy, get your exercise and see your doctor to keep up with your physical health, it’s important to check in on your mental health, too. 

Wellstar offers a full range of behavioral health services close to home in convenient locations, so you can feel your best both physically and mentally.

Meeting you where you are

If you’re dealing with feelings of anxiety and depression, you may turn to your primary care physician or another healthcare provider for help. Wellstar is removing barriers to behavioral healthcare by integrating those services into many of our locations. 

On-site behavioral health providers work at many of our primary care and specialty clinics, making it a little easier to take that first step in improving your mental health. Wellstar also provides access to on-site and virtual behavioral health specialists in hospital emergency departments and on the medical floors.

“We know that patients are already struggling with stigma, and sometimes it takes a lot for a patient to come into care with a behavioral health professional, and we wanted to remove that stigma,” said Dr. Ryan Breshears, chief behavioral health officer at Wellstar.

About 1 in 3 patients with a physical health condition also could benefit from some form of mental health support, Dr. Breshears said. Wellstar providers work together across specialties to ensure each patient receives “whole person care”—addressing both their mental and physical well-being.

“When you address the mental health components that an individual is dealing with, you’re going to improve the physical outcomes,” Dr. Breshears said. “In the same way, if you address the physical health outcomes, you’re probably going to provide care that improves the mental health outcomes as well.”

Wellstar Psychologist Dr. Shawn Coyne works with cardiac patients to provide that whole person care to patients like John Petrick and his daughter Janin as they adjust to cardiac diagnoses. 

Cardiac health and behavioral health are closely tied, Dr. Coyne said—if someone is depressed, they are twice as likely to have a cardiac health issue or twice as likely to experience a second cardiac event. Heart patients are also three times as likely to be depressed as the general population.

In addition to cardiovascular behavioral medicine, Wellstar also offers several other specialized programs to assist patients with the mental and emotional challenges of a medical condition: 

• Metabolic behavioral medicine, for patients with metabolic conditions or who have received bariatric surgery
• Psycho-gastroenterology to provide support to gastrointestinal patients
• Psychosocial oncology to help patients adjust to cancer treatment
• Somatic symptom disorders for people experiencing unexplained physical symptoms that may be caused or impacted by stress

With our PeopleCare approach, Wellstar providers tailor care to each patient, taking the time to get to know their needs and create a customized care plan.

“You as the patient are part of the treatment team,” Dr. Coyne said. “You are involved, you can participate, you give feedback, you engage and we get a better end product when we work as a strong team.”

To learn more about outpatient behavioral health services, call (770) 644-1570.

Compassionate inpatient care

If you or a loved one requires immediate care for a behavioral health condition, our inpatient behavioral health units provide 24-hour care for adults ages 18 and older.

Inpatient behavioral health services include round-the-clock monitoring, medication management, individual and group therapy, and educational resources for both the patient and their family.

If you have questions, you can reach our Behavioral Health Assessment & Resource Center anytime at (470) 732-3789. However, in the case of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Learn more about behavioral health services at Wellstar.

With nearly one in five Georgians struggling with mental health challenges annually, treating mental health conditions and assessing suicide risk is a group effort between health professionals and state, local, and community partners. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), recognized Wellstar as the only system in Georgia and one of 25 nationwide to be awarded funding as part of a $2M Grant from the Biden-Harris Administration. The grant falls in the Cooperative Agreements to Implement Zero Suicide in Health Systems in the form of an intervention and prevention model for adults throughout our health system.

Wellstar launched a system-wide suicide prevention program in 2017 when the Behavioral Health Service Line adopted the national best-practice Zero Suicide Initiative (ZSI) framework developed by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention. During the earliest phases of implementation, Wellstar invited national experts from the SPRC to advise on best practices, hosted a series of focus groups with various Wellstar medical specialties and departments, conducted an organizational needs assessment, and convened a Zero Suicide Oversight Steering Council to oversee the development, implementation, and fidelity of the program.

"Behavioral health cannot own the problem alone independent of other members of the healthcare team. We have to consider a systemic approach – how we screen, assess, deliver care and address gaps throughout the entire healthcare continuum," explained Ryan Breshears, PhD, ABPP, chief of Wellstar's Behavioral Health service line and a board-certified clinical health psychologist.

Since the initial 2017 launch, Wellstar's Suicide Prevention Team has implemented an improved suicide screening process for all Wellstar emergency departments and medical floors. These experts have also routinized collaborative safety planning to ensure safety interventions are initiated at the onset of the patient encounter and throughout the duration of care.

“The support of our executive leadership to launch this program in 2017, ongoing system collaboration, and commitment from our suicide prevention team has helped to save lives. The infusion of the SAMHSA grant funding received, in partnership with our Wellstar Foundation, will further enhance our reach and impact to the individuals in this vulnerable population,” says Trisha Velasco, assistant vice president of the Behavioral Health service line.

Wellstar's receipt of the SAMHSA grant builds on the system's established infrastructure through the provision of additional educational resources to healthcare clinicians and the community. It also increases access to evidence-based treatments shown to reduce suicidal thoughts. Specifically, funding will enable follow-up care for high-risk adults who are struggling with suicidal thoughts and/or have experienced a recent suicide attempt. Through this grant, SAMHSA aims to aid the program in continuing to reduce suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths due to suicide.

This grant's objectives align with Wellstar's goals of reducing suicide attempts and suicide death rates among Georgians ages 18 and older by growing the existing Wellstar Zero Suicide Initiative. Adding community-based and treatment-focused strategies, including suicide prevention training throughout the organization coupled with identification, treatment, and care transition, Wellstar will continue strengthening the community. At least 5,000 patients across six Wellstar hospitals and emergency departments will receive care, including to residents in Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Harris, Paulding, Polk, and Troup counties.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, affecting people of all ages. While mental health plays a role, there are many other factors that may lead someone to contemplate suicide, and there are some warning signs to pay close attention to because they may indicate that someone is at risk of suicide, which include:

• Talking about wanting to die or kill themselves, or making comments like, "I wish I weren't here," or "Nothing matters."
• Talking about feelings of hopelessness, being a burden to others, feeling trapped, or being in unbearable pain.
• Exhibiting impulsive or reckless behaviors, acting more irritated or anxious than normal, and extreme mood swings.
• A change in habits related to appearance, eating, drinking, or sleeping.
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves.
• Signs of self-harm like cuts or scratches.

The research is clear that enhancing feelings of belonging and connection is a powerful method of reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. While suicide can be a difficult topic to talk about, speaking about it non-judgmentally can offer hope. In contrast, avoiding the discussion can contribute to feelings of isolation, further contributing to devastating outcomes.

If you suspect a loved one is at risk for suicide, talk with them. Here are some tips to help guide your conversation:

• Be available.
• Be non-judgmental and maintain curiosity.
• Talk less.
• Listen more.
• Allow your loved one to express their feelings.
• Validate that their feelings make sense.
• Ask how you can be helpful. "
• Offer hope that treatment alternatives are available without offering insincere reassurance.
• Follow-up after the initial conversation.
• Show interest and support.