U.S., Aug. 24 -- In early March the COVID-19 pandemic caused thousands of skilled nursing homes across the US to close their doors to visitors and outside medical staff, including clinicians from Los Angeles-based Executive Mental Health (EMH), a medical practice that specialises in clinical psychology and neuropsychology.
Clinicians from the practice had regular sessions with elderly residents in nursing homes, many of whom were dealing with heightened stress and disorientation due to coronavirus. When these visits were abruptly cut off, residents became more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic, including being at a greater risk of depression and anxiety.
This meant that in just a matter of hours, the immediate mental healthcare ...