- During the pandemic, 120 patients who had a psychiatric disorder and Covid-19 have been hospitalized.
- Additionally, each year the hospital attends to 4,591 outpatients, 1,507 in emergencies and 4,173 hospitalizations.
- In addition, each cycle graduates 35 subspecialists in psychogeriatrics, legal psychiatry, brief and support psychotherapy, schizophrenia psychiatry and neurobiology.
One of the biggest mistakes of a large part of the population is only focusing on their physical well-being and forgetting the emotional part. Both aspects are equally important for someone to really feel good. For this reason, one of the lessons of the pandemic should never be to neglect one another. While in the case of Mexico, there is a hospital that stands out from the rest because it is the only one specialized in mental health that has a Covid-19 area.
In that sense, we refer to the Psychiatric Hospital “Fray Bernardino Álvarez” because at the beginning of the health emergency it was transformed. One of the biggest changes was to set up an area for people with conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a situation that accentuated the symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
In an interview for the 55th anniversary of this hospital, the general director, Rosa María Osiris Pazarán, reported that 120 patients with some psychiatric disorder and COVID-19 were hospitalized, who were given pharmacological treatment. They were classified into mild and moderate cases and those who developed severe respiratory disease were referred to specialized institutions.
Work of the hospital specialized in mental health with the Covid-19 area
The general director indicated that each year the hospital treats 4,591 outpatients, 1,507 in emergencies and 4,173 hospitalizations, for which it has 300 beds. They also serve psychiatric patients with special needs and older adults with a mental disorder.
He noted that partial hospitalization is necessary for some people to control symptoms. In addition, they are offered individual or group therapy, recreational activities and painting and music workshops, so that they can resume their daily activities.
Every year, from Psychiatric Hospital “Fray Bernardino Álvarez” 35 subspecialists graduated in psychogeriatrics, legal psychiatry, brief and support psychotherapy, schizophrenia psychiatry and neurobiology.
importance of mental health
He explained that mental health is a human right and therefore through the Psychiatric Care Services (SAP), the Technical Secretariat of the National Mental Health Council (STConsame) and the National Commission against Addictions (Conadic) the National Program for Telementoring in Mental Health and Addictions is implemented. Through which first and second level professionals are trained, with the aim of bringing closer and facilitating access to these services, in person or remotely, to people of all ages.
In the same way, the teaching staff is trained so that they acquire the tools to guide the students; identify and refer those who need it to mental health and addiction services, and generate strategies for the creation of healthy environments in the school environment and the environment.
He recommended mothers and fathers and caregivers to be attentive to the state of mind of their daughters and sons, observe if they change their behavior, isolate themselves, decrease their school performance, increase the time they are on the cell phone, start consuming alcoholic beverages or increase the amount they consume; “Everything has a mental origin,” she warned.
The psychiatry specialist warned that, in the face of any symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, sleep disturbances, anxiety or stress, the person should go to one of the mental health and addiction units to receive guidance and support, or to be referred to a hospital. specializing in psychiatry and mental health.