Taking Care of Yourself & Others

How are you taking care of your mental health? Have you been checking in on your friends and family and advocating for mental health care during Mental Health Awareness Month?

As current and future health care professionals, do you have questions about addressing mental health in your practice?

Audience Questions

Marni Chanoff, MD, answers questions about how to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our future patients.

• Why is it so important to recognize mental health as a major contributing factor to overall health?
• If we are teaching future health care professionals, what advice do you have about providing a “soft entry” to mental health in our curriculum? How can we start teaching mental health basics that apply to both the student and their future patients?
• If we’re in a field of work—or preparing to enter a field of work—that focuses so heavily on physical health, why should we consider mental health as a component of patient care?
• How can we incorporate mental health into fields that are predominantly focused on physiology, such as physical therapy or occupational therapy?
• How might you respond to a health care colleague who is speaking in a stigmatizing way to/about a patient?
• Regardless of whether we’re doing clinical rotations or we’ve been a practitioner for 25 years, there are always going to be folks who approach mental health with reluctance, disinterest, or stigma. Do you have advice for how we can talk to folks who may be less inclined to want to address mental health?
• Do you have any materials or resources you’d suggest for folks (both in health care and not) who are starting to try to understand mental health?
• How can we introduce mental health conversations to people we care about—family and friends?
• How can students reflect on their mental health when they may be feeling burdened by the responsibilities they have both in and out of the classroom?
• Can you talk a little about burnout? What might that look like, and what is the tipping point between resilience and being burned out?
• How can I talk to someone who I’d consider a superior about feeling burned out?
• Any advice about how to prevent my own burnout? I’m in health care because I want to care for others, but I worry that I’m not doing enough caring for myself in the process. Help!
• What is one strategy you use to take care of yourself when you are feeling burned out?
• How do I prevent caregiver burnout? How do I teach caregivers I work with (e.g., family members of clients) how to prevent caregiver burnout?
• How do you incorporate Eastern medicine, Ayurveda, etc., into your psychiatry practice?
• What is the role of nutrition in mental health? Can we feel better by eating better?
• How do you suggest working toward having clients and other health care professionals understand that OTs work in mental health?
• How can we work on reducing stigma in student populations about mental health and seeking help? It can be hard for anyone to admit that they aren’t okay.
• Any advice on how to find someone to help us with mental health?
• What options exist for young adults (like students) who would like to receive mental health services but cannot afford them?
• Can you talk about mental health care and accessibility (e.g., cost, not covered by insurance)? How does it impact clinical roles in referring out to mental health providers?
• For students on clinical rotations, how might you respond to a supervisor who refers to someone as being a difficult patient?
• Have you found there to be disparities in mental health care either before or during the pandemic?
• Do you believe that digital health care, e.g., virtual visits with mental health providers, will help offset some disparities?
• How can we be more mindful when we feel like our heads are on a swivel?
• Any last pieces of advice for folks tuning in who are being more intentional about mental health and making its maintenance into a daily habit?

The information discussed is intended to be educational and should not be used as a substitute for guidance provided by your health care provider. Please consult with your treatment team before making any changes to your care plan.

About Dr. Chanoff

Marni Chanoff, MD, is an integrative psychiatrist combining Western psychiatry practices, Eastern approaches, nutritional psychiatry, and culinary and lifestyle medicine. In addition, she has a clinical and consulting private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and writes and lectures nationally on bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Dr. Chanoff founded and directs the integrative wellness group at McLean OnTrack, where she is also a clinical associate.

Learn more about Dr. Chanoff.

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