Clinical Psychology during COVID-19: Experiences from Six Frontline Hospitals in Mexico

Abstract

Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated clinical challenges for health personnel in general and hospital personnel in particular. In Mexico, the clinical psychologists who are part of the local hospital systems have adapted professional practices to provide mental health care in COVID-19 frontline hospitals. This text describes the actions and challenges arising from treating patients, families, and health workers in six COVID-19 hospitals in Mexico. It highlights the main problems identified, strategies to address them, and the barriers encountered during this pandemic. Finally, this document may be useful for planning clinical psychological activities within COVID-19 hospitals in places where new waves of contagion appear.A nivel mundial la pandemia COVID-19 ha generado retos clínicos al personal de salud en general y al personal hospitalario en particular. En México, el psicólogo clínico que forma parte de los sistemas hospitalarios, ha adaptado su práctica profesional para poder brindar atención en salud mental en los hospitales COVID-19. Este escrito describe las acciones y retos derivados de la atención clínica a pacientes, familiares y personal de salud en seis hospitales COVID-19 en México. Se resaltan los principales problemas identificados, las estrategias para abordarlo y las barreras encontradas durante esta pandemia. Finalmente, este escrito puede ser de utilidad para planeación de actividades psicológicas clínicas dentro de hospitales COVID-19, en aquellos lugares en donde vienen nuevas olas de contagio