Mental health is an easy-to-overlook aspect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but there is evidence that it is having an effect on Americans. Ahead of an upcoming virtual panel for the Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI), myMatrixx Chief Clinical Officer, Phil Walls, shared his thoughts on this growing trend for the organization’s weekly news update. Associated with this increase in mental health issues is a rise in utilization of psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants and sleep aids that is also affecting injured workers, Walls says.
The myMatrixx clinical team discovered that the conditions faced by most Americans during the pandemic closely mirror those that seriously injured workers have always had to deal with, including social isolation and uncertainty about future employment status. In the WCI Panel to be held on November 12th, Walls will partner with Niki Moore, Case Management Team Lead for Publix Supermarkets. The two will discuss how a comprehensive approach to mental and behavioral health for injured workers can lead to reduction in psychotropic drug utilization and associated risks.