AHA issues new report examining impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral health

The AHA these days unveiled a report describing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral health and fitness in the U.S. Among other subject areas, the report seems to be at in-particular person utilization throughout the pandemic the increased will need for behavioral health and fitness products and services the outcomes on unique populations, which includes the well being treatment workforce, youth, LGBTQ+, and historically underrepresented groups and ground breaking approaches of offering behavioral well being solutions. In addition, the report highlights legislative and regulatory steps taken for the duration of the pandemic, as properly as AHA coverage recommendations for potential steps. 
 
“Behavioral wellness treatment has long been underfunded, underappreciated and stigmatized,” the report notes. “The AHA has prioritized advocacy all-around behavioral wellness in standard, and a lot of of the advocacy techniques in which the corporation has engaged prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic would deal with several of the troubles raised in this brief. For illustration, investments in the behavioral wellbeing workforce, the integration of behavioral wellness into actual physical health treatment, the enforcement of federal and state parity guidelines, and enhancements in reimbursement costs for behavioral overall health vendors would support fill the critical gaps in access worsened by the pandemic.”