Danielle Bradley
Digital health = mobile health, health information technology, wearable devices, telehealth/telemedicine, and personalized medicine (according to the FDA)
There's no doubt that digital health has stepped up during COVID-19. COVID-19 has limited our abilities to go to places like a doctor's office, a rehabilitation center, a therapist's office, etc. These in-person offices or clinics are considered “brick and mortar.” This simply just means that it's in-person. With very limited “brick and mortar” places that we can go to during COVID-19, many people have redirected to receiving their healthcare digitally.
A TON of mental wellness apps have been downloaded during this pandemic. Here are a few statistics from the month of April:
1. Calm - 3.9 million downloads
2. Headspace - 1.5 million downloads
3. Meditopia - 1.4 million downloads
All three of these apps are meditation apps. Self-care and meditation is great! I highly recommend trying a meditation app or a meditation YouTube video.
However, sometimes self-care isn’t enough. We all need an extra push in life here and there. There have been tons of healthcare and behavioral health companies who have converted its offerings to digital.
This blog post would go on and on if I listed every single behavioral health resource in the U.S. Therefore, I’m just going to provide a few, but I encourage you to do your own research to find the right fit for you, a family member, or a friend.
It's amazing how the behavioral health industry made the quick shift to digital health in response to this crisis. COVID-19 has begun the onset of a national mental health crisis. It's okay to get help. Break the stigma.
The panic and fear set on by the COVID-19 pandemic itself is enough to make your mind race. However, social isolation has been another stressor for most people. For me, I made the most of the time that I had alone. In the beginning, I actually didn't mind being socially isolated.
During quarantine, my creative side peaked. I decided it was time to finally do all of the things that I have been wanting to start. I learned a song on the piano, did macrame, learned calligraphy, painted, did puzzles, and more.
I started quarantine by teaching myself a new song on the piano (keyboard). I took lessons when I was younger, so every once in a while, I like to play.
The song in this video clip is Wrong Direction by Hailee Steinfeld.
Another thing that I picked up during quarantine is macrame. Macrame is knotting string/yarn/cord to essentially make something. Some things I made during quarantine include coasters, wall hangings, and keychains. My next task is to make a plant hanger.
I bought a calligraphy workbook from Target. This one was definitely a challenging activity for me. However, I'm writing the name cards for my sister's wedding reception, so I need to practice.
I love to paint. I'm far from a professional, but it is a hobby that I always make time for in my busy schedule. This little box below is a prayer box that I painted during quarantine. "Pray more. Worry less." I found this phrase comforting throughout the pandemic. I would love to make things similar to this to sell on an Etsy store someday.
There were A LOT of puzzles done in my house during quarantine. We had to start trading puzzles with my aunt because we ran out.
I'm not saying that I'm having the best time ever being in quarantine. There were some tough times and a couple family arguments. However, I've been making the most of it.
Although I have been spending a lot of time alone focusing on these crafts, I know that I'm very grateful to have family here with me. It's comforting to know that they are here when I do need to get out of my room and socialize.
Overall, I'm enjoying my alone time in quarantine because I focus on creative activities that kept me inspired.
The Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech 2020 summit was on June 17th, 2020. Experts and industry leaders in behavioral health pre-recorded sessions for that day. I was lucky enough to intern for Cognific during the event planning.
There were plenty of great speakers that I wish I could address, but these sessions stood out to me.
You can find all of the videos here for a limited time.
Chris talked about her life story and found ways for all viewers to relate.
She talked about the Wheel of Life which includes: Health & Fitness, Intimate Relationship, Family, Social Life, Career, Financial, Personal Development, and Self.
She explained that if any of these are lacking, it's like riding a bike on a flat tire.
Chris said, “[Your goals for your Wheel of Life are] important to be reflecting on to make sure that you are able to build up your resiliency. Because, you can’t pour from an empty cup. And you can’t drive on a flat tire.”
Elise's session addressed in detail the health disparities with COVID-19.
Her company did a study in New York on COVID-19 cases and race. Zip codes that were hit the hardest by COVID-19 had a strong correlation with populations of people of color.
You could hear the passion in her voice. She stated, "It's something we need to look at. It's something we need to talk about. And if you are not talking about it and you work in healthcare, you are not helping the solution... And you are part of the problem."
Kristina and Erin's company, Equip, provides evidence-based eating disorder treatment. They surveyed, "What was the most meaningful thing in your recovery?" Kristina said, "Without a doubt, the answer was people who have been there and can show that recovery is not only possible but really worth fighting for."
Erin showed appraisal for behavioral health startup companies. She addressed how they take on huge challenges and actually do something about it.
Marcus and Alexandra addressed that informal caregivers are not given enough credit.
Alexandra said, "Caregivers are an essential backbone to the economy... The most recent number was 53 million unpaid informal family caregivers in the U.S. before COVID. And I would argue that the numbers have at least doubled."
They addressed that caregivers have an increased probability of anxiety, coping with alcohol, worsened health, and more. We can support them by addressing these disadvantages and their emotional isolation.
"Mention the unmentionables."
