4:00 p.m. newscast we will spend an hour with experts and you in a conversation about your mental health. >> the emotional long call about the pandemic is still taking a toll more than a year later. 49% of adults are about returning to in person interactions when the pandemic ends even with vaccinations. >> the reasons are complicated but uncertainty about the future, stress, and social anxiety are definitely playing a part. one study finds that more than 10% of people fit the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder after going back to work. >> despite this,despite this,de, society doesn't view mental health as part of a person's overall health. >> today is mental health action day. we are going to help you take action. joining us, a panel of top experts in the field from the bay area. we will talk with dr. stuart

butler. dr. christine garcia regional director with edgewood center which specializes in helping children and families who have experienced trauma. >> dr. margaret lamarr at palo alto university specializes in maternal mental health. >> psychological justpsychologit is joining us. mark salazar with the association of san francisco. >> we just heard some interviews from bay area residents who are uncertain after being vaccinated. it is important to know getting back to some form of normal isn't as easy as flipping a switch. dr. garcia we would like to start with you. what are some of the biggest concerns people have as we use out of this acute phase of the pandemic? >> i think the biggest concern for a lot of people is safety. how safe is it to go back? how safe is it to go back and deal with child care when schools are hybrid or pandemic issues arise out of the blue and suddenly your kid has to go home because there

covid positive person in their classroom. i think people are quite nervous about venturing out, returning to work, returning back in person as so many unknowns are still in front of us. we don't know how to plan and how to make everything work as they used to do prior to covid. >> dr. lamarr maybe you can jump in here and jumping off of what was just said. what is something we can do to try and ease our nerves a little bit as we step our foot back into the deep end? >> that is such a great question. it is so challenging. one thing i encourage folks to do is really focusing in on what are the things you have control over and allowing yourself to really focus in on those things and try to let go of those things you can't control, right? it is really challenging to do. >> dr. lamarr, what can i have

control over? i am spinning, i am spinning. >> it feels like that is the challenging part. it normally feels like a moving target. it feels like we don't know what things are going to look like in two weeks or in the fall when our kids go back to school. it is really challenging to feel like we are in control but if i can say i know what we are going to do for this next couple of weeks or i know what i can do things we are engaging in here are the things i can control. i can wear my mask. i can wash my hands. i can be mindful of the people we are around and keep our social circle really tight. those kinds of things may help folks feel a little less anxious about the normal we are turning into. >> dr. lamarr and maybe dr. butler can take this question. we have created new patterns for the fast the past 15 months.

we have created uncertaintycreay what about june 15 when things start to reopen? the concern is that the habits have to change again. how do we move through this next step safely and also ease those mental health fears and anxiety? >> i think about where we are right now. we are in a storm but in different boats. we are experiencing things differently because of our personal circumstances. one size is not going to fit everybody. it is really important, i think, for people to move more slowly back into their lives. we don't have to rush. this isn't a sprint. we are in a i tell people decide on the two or three things you really enjoy doing, visiting friends have been vaccinated.

if you enjoy eating out, going to a movie, taking a drive, exercising, going shopping. do two or three things slowly and safely. don't push yourself or things. some people have lost relatives, close friends and others have fought the disease themselves and may have lingering symptoms. not everybody is ready to jump back into their previously considered normal life. i think life is not normal. it is not going to be normal for some time. really, we do need to move more slowly. also, our partners and relationships. we may not be in the same place with people we live with and love. it is very important, i think, to manage relationships in a way that neither of us may be ready to do things. it is important to have a relationship with our partner and make decisions about how we are going to ease back into

this together. i think those are some of the things i think about. >> dr. saunders, -- is very well aware of the science. we talk about these issues every day. she has been vaccinated. she allowed me to share this with everybody. she is very nervous about this next step. about going into a store soon and not having a mask on and the person behind the counter not wearing a mask and moving into that sort of new normal. she has a lot of anxiety about it. i am wondering if there is an identity we have created over e st ye uswee haby socially in tt we care the things are very attached to that. when you take that away it kind of makes us feel like perhaps we are not good actors anymore. >> yeah. there is a part of us that has

become politicized. it really means something. a simple mask becomes a message about what your values and what your beliefs are. i think a lot of people have had to navigate that even within their family family member decides not to or people decide not to get vaccinated or the reasons they have. it is a very personal decision but it is also a public thing when we navigate in our communities. i go back to my fellow colleagues here and the comments about safety and slowing down. what feels right for one person will feel different for someone else. it is okay. i think a part of that is acknowledge. it makes sense to be anxious. it makes sense to going back and even with things opening back up it is really scary.

it took some time and it will be an adjustment to revert back . taking the time and giving ourselves grace through the process and for people in our lives as well. >> mark, i am curious what you think. i was reflecting back on our town hall. a year ago it felt different. there were so many unknown questions about what covid was and people were getting sick and people were dying. many of us are now vaccinated. we seem to be on the up and up despite some any lingering mental health concerns. what are you hearing in your community about mental health? do you feel that we can now move forward inpositive started the biggest questions we have had was about

what covid-19 was pandemic. we roughly take about 9000 calls a month those are the most common topics. it is the fear of returning to normal, whatever that is for anyone else. is it safe to go into clinics? is it safety provider receive 121 support or even support groups? our virtual telemedicinevirtuale peer support staff has accidentally increased over the past nine months or so. again, the topic is always anxiety and having that 1-1 emberson interface. it is still a difficult

challenge for a lot of people. >> dr. i was talking to a friend of mine recently. he was telling me that during pandemic times, his friends circle has essentially disintegrated. people he really depended on to be there and be a part ofnger t things have really changed. relationships that you thought were a part of your core aren't. things have been shaken up. i think there are two things happening. people are a little anxious about hanging out with people they haven't seen in a long time but also, they are aware that those relationships may not be there anymore. i am worried about that social anxiety. >> i think that is very common. in my own life, my friendships and relationships have shifted in this past year. it has been interesting who has kind of surfaced in my life and who has receded and how things have really flowed flowed flowe i think you have to have understanding for what has

happens to people and this has really created a little bit of social anxiety for all of us. i know even when i go into a supermarket and i see people, aback and nervous. hanging out with people, people have very different ideas of a what is okay and not okay for them to do right now. i think we have to be, ourselves, okay with that and allow for that. >> is it weird to say? is it weird to have a conversation or is it healthy to have a conversation with a friend you kind of lost touch with our you are not sure where you are with them? to say hey! are we still good? >> absolutely! that is the key to communication. hey, are we okay? i have a friend who is very strict with her covid restrictions. i am dying to see see see see s

we haven't been able to see each other. that is okay. i have done something like that. absolutely! reach out and connect with people. put yourself out there with what you need too. that way, you can have an understanding. i think that is important too for couples, people and relationships where you have been in this hothouse of the home so to speak and relationships have gotten quite intense for people. it is important to start the communication of what do you need now and keep those lines of communication open.communica. >> this is already been such a great start. i am already feeling more mentally fit. we are going to take a quick break on air but the conversation continues right now on facebook and youtube. >> you can be a part of this conversation as well.

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air and we will be back online for our next.our next.our next.. you are watching your mental health, a bay conversation.> me ess mo e lookinth hologictthe paem is also an impact of police violence against citizens. over the past year to get

through. there are multiple things happening all at once. i want to bring dr. saunders into the conversation. talk to us about what it has been like as we talk with the black community and now here in asian americans pacific islander month we have seen lot but particularly at this time. >> there has been a significant rise in folks who are seeking specialists specializing in racial trauma. there is so it is not just related to covid but around navigating the community as a person of color and not feeling safe walking the streets. in terms of getting the

that you can be criminalized or oppressed because of your ethnic background. folks are holding a lot of fear, anxiety and anger which they are looking for a place to be able to process those emotions. >> is there a place we can start, dr. saunders, if we have a friend or a colleague who was a part of one of these communities has been especially traumatized over the past year in order to reach out but not have expectations that would further traumatize them? >> yeah. . it is business as usual and going to school. there is no larger conversation about the violence that is happening both for the african- american community and the asian-american communities and

folks of color. the best part is to be able to create that space and really a ways to have a conversation and to listen. it is is is is is is experienced personally so it is important to listen to the folks who are the most marginalized. those are the ones being harmed. >> i would like to bring mark salazar into the conversation. we have a background in hawaii. there are a lot of folks feeling that as we are trying to honor the cultures but also protect them. i am wondering what you are hearing about that. >> it is really just acknowledging it. as an executive, one of the first roles we have is making sure we acknowledge the traumas and challenges our team is

going through. that is the pinnacle of everything we do. it is acknowledging it and talking about it and holding that space. as someone from hawaii, this type of violence is really unreal and really challenging as someone who comes from a place where everyone typically gets along the matter your race, creed, or ethnicity. it is a place of paradise. when you come to situations of racial violence it is really challenging and jarring at the same time. a lot of people have no way to cope. they have never the racial injustice people feel every day just by being a black person or asian person is really traumatizing. i think acknowledging acknowled providing opportunity like cleaning circles and even acknowledge safety as someone walks through the streets is an easy simple step. >> how important is it to get a

culturally competent therapist if that is what you are looking for? >> i think it is super important but i would challenge the idea that youthat youthat yu confidence. i think it is important. they are accepting the therapist. you may even ask a therapist how do you approach. how do you integrate those treatment come in and they say why am i talking about this? this doesn't belong and my therapy. this is your this -- this is affecting her mental health. we need to talk about >> we have to talk about women and mothers.

women carry a heavya heavya heay during the pandemic with about 44% saying the what they were the sole provider of care for their children compared with 14% of men according to the national law center. law women have lost more than 5 million jobs since february 2020. plaques, latina and single moms have been hit the hardest. dr. lamarr, you completed a study on the early impact the pandemic has had on parents. what did you discover? >> we found a on the mental health of pants both mothers and fathers. we were looking at parents last april and it was really rough. we saw a lot of really heightened high severe and extremely severe levels of stress, anxiety and depression. i think if we think back to that time it makes a lot of sense. it everything was reallyreallyry

challenging. we were at home. day cares and schools were close. not a lot of support. we were really just swimming in the deep end, right? but i think what we have seen is the heightened anxiety and depression and stress we saw maybe felt like hypervigilance, having a hard time sleeping. day-to-day functioning was really challenging. i don't think we are seeing much. we are seeing somewhat lower levels of anxiety and depression now but it looks a lot different. i think moms and parents but especially mothers are feeling this level of burnout that feels unprecedented. it looks different. it may be feels different than it did 12 months ago. maybe it feels like being tired and not having a lot of motivation or just overwhelmed and kind of waiting for school to be out or the summer to be here or maybe you are dreading the summer to be here. i don't know. it has morphed into something

else that looks different but >> the heha part about being a parent and often more so for moms is you never have time to recover. you may have had a tough day at work and now you have to come home and scream -- come home and deal with screaming toddlers or teenagers. what can parents do to find that day -- the moment in their day to take a breath? >> one of the things we look at a lot with mom's is to really just to lower expectations. there are really high expectations on mothers socially even before covid. moms, they keep the calendar and provide a lot of emotional support. they do a lot of the emotional labor. they take care a lot of the housework and home responsibilities, all the domestic labor. i think one thing we can do is just lower our expectations for

and others we dothe things. how can i get through the day and continue to build relationships with my children and negotiate to someone supply of that. negotiate where we can sort of tag team and help each other. if you don't have a partner finding your social support outside of your home that can really help you and jump out when you needed. >> people expect as kids went back to school

tension and anxiety would be relieved. in fact, what i am hearing is a lot more anxiety. oh my goodness! i am losing control. my kid is going back to school. i don't know what they are going to find. are they going to get sick? i do think there is a sense of giving up control right now that makes people even more anxious. i really like what margaret said about easing back into it. be comfortable with yourself and even going into the school. see where your kids are going to be back in class. connecting >> shout out to all of the dads working really hard to take care of their professional and family lives. mark, i would love to hear your thoughts on how we can support every family member. >> definitely, there is a lot of accessible supports these days virtually. there is also phone lines as well. i think there is parents

anonymous that you can call on an as needed basis. we have the well. these are all appear support programs. there is no judgment. people are there to listen. a lot of these peer lines are not necessarily the california but also other lines they are there to listen. a lot of people just need someone to listen to them, acknowledge their challenges and i think what everyone has been saying is the compassionate year this is to help out and give a boost. everyone has said by listening that we have helped out and help them get through the day. there are resources out there that i would recommend people reaching out to. you can get a therapist by all means get a therapist but not everybody.

>> dr. lamarr you get my second key point. lowering expectations. me getting to work every day is a when. >> getting to school on time ish yh. wi food! >> i am all >> i am going to be very transparent with you. this is people who have -- the number of suicides amongst children under the age of 18 is up when you compare 2019 to 2020. that is for young people. that is for young people. when you look to

>> and other is some disagreement because there are people saying when you look over all at several years back, suicides among young people have been trending up. it is hard to say if the say pandemic is directly responsible for our numbers numbers or it is a part of a larger trend. we obviously have to address this. any life lost is a tragedy. two what do you attribute these rising numbers over the past few years and especially the past year? >> one, and i want to make, the nih says -- i think this is an interesting test is to. kids are 10 times more likely to suicide than to have covid. you step back and look at how powerful that is.

suicide is the second leading cause of death for kids 10-24. it is trending up for many years. overall suicide has been trending up. it is on a is on a high. this has been going on for a while even before covid kids were struggling. calling from san diego state wrote a really good book looking at this surveying kids and looking at snapshots over the decades. what she found even before covid kids were not as much. first thing i want to do is get a car and drive. the kids are delaying getting cars. they are not going to the mall. this is all before covid. we are seeing

stress related problem for kids with covid. losing the structure of what i call were the buffers in life. the sports, the structured school. the relationships you form. all of those help kids, particularly the kids who have adverse childhood experience. that is an important point. those are the -- in a household that is struggling related to your parents being unemployed, the kind of tension that goes on in the home and we have seen an increase in domestic violence during this period where people were stuck in their homes. kids have been under enormous stress and strain even before and now even more so without the structure and connections they have had in life. i think we

work cut out for us. i am happy to see the governor's budget put a lot of money into the school system and getting them the kind of care that they need early on do think we really have a good group of kids, our cohort of kids that will struggle for a number of years. >> dr. garcia you work with children and families to try to help them through some of the trauma they have experienced. how concerned are you especially since a lot of them still aren't in full-time school buildings right now and won't be until the fall? how concerned are you about these kids being ready for what they will bring? >> i have a healthy level of concern i would say. i think they are trying the best that they can. schools shut down in person but

teachers never really stopped working. they have been going this entire time with virtual schools. now they are transitioning as well. they are aware of mental health issues that kids are potentially bringing back into the school with them as well as multiple places kids are at in terms of their routine academically this whole year. the mental health issues that many of them have from isolation and even pre-existing mental health challenges just dropped out of zoom classes. they will be coming back but everyone will be coming back at different stages just like we are coming back to work in

different stages. our teachers, our administrators are doing the same thing. they are coming back in person. it is going to be challenging. i think we are going to need a lot of support and parents and teachers in the community all have to work together and communicate really well about what kids need and what supports they need and to be advocates for these kids. >> absolutely. i hope to talk more about this. what are two things you can ask your teen if you are concerned about their mental health? >> i would say don't ask them how are you. you are not going to get a good

answer. i would ride in the car and i would have a conversation with them. try to get into their world. what are you interested in these days? i would get into their world. i would not make these questions and i have noticed you are feeling a little bit blah lately. what do you think you may drop a little note in their you can talk about what they are interested in and they will get back to you at another point in time in the car right or that walk or doing something together. >> if you are someone you love o you can visit on abc7news.com.

we have many links pick you can so call the national suicide prevention hotline. just ahead, some advice from experts who know a little something about living in isolation. we want you to join in the conversation. go to facebook or youtube to weigh in and interact with at worksman cycles, we've been building bikes for a hundred years. but our customers' needs have changed, so we expanded our product line to include electric cycles. we used the unlimited 1.5 percent cash back from our chase ink business unlimited ® credit card

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kind of normal again. >> you want to allow the change to happen gradually. >> recognizing everybody will have a different reaction and many of those reactions will be unexpected. unexpected to the world and unexpected to those people themselves. >> how my going to take this new version of me and introduce it to this new version of the world in this productive way? certainly in the weeks and the months ahead i think we should air toward forgiveness. there will be a lot of awkward encounters for everybody. >> those are people who are literally and isolation for various reasons. some of them in space and didn't have a lot of people to talk to.

now, all of us on earth know what that is like after a year or plus of being primarily amongst a couple of people. some advice about how to return to normal when isolation is over. >> absolutely! we want to get back to the panel to talk and find out what they think. what do you do if you know someone is struggling? >> i think people have to recognize when their struggle is somewhat normal and when it is not. people who are not sleeping well, who are losing joy in life, who are losing their energy and what we call anhedonia. their pleasure in life is gone. those are people who really needs to seek help. i do think mental treatment and reaching out for some support is a very important. it is not -- sometimes it is not enough to talk to your neighbor or sometimes enough to talk to professionals. i am so happy you mentioned the

isolation. in isolation too -- strength. a lot of people have really reorganized their lives. it is to welcome you and in this period of life. >> we all know mental health resources are scarce.are scarce. dr. garcia i know you and i have spoken about this problem. someone may want to seek a therapist but they don't know how or they can't get access. mark, what are you hearing is the best way? what are you hearing about successful ways to access that

care? >> for our community, the easiest way is just a referral. it is word-of-mouth. it is someone you trust. i think when thewhen thewhen tht specialists talk about that they have to make it accessible in terms of language and visible and usability.and usabi. our california line is 24 seven. you can call it any time. it is a peer who is trained in counseling and they have gone to the same exact experience. we found when someone discloses they have gone through the st. same struggle people tend to open up about their struggle

and they recognize in themselves or others about their challenges. they tend to reach out more. we encourage and look for level support and therapies from these great psychologists and therapists we have on the panel. is always looking for the quickest and easiest way first. if you feel like you need there are a lot >> i think that is why a lot of apps have actually been put out that are doing a really nice job. a couple of apps like call him and my strength and a lot of people have been struggling with the weight. the new app. i think there are a number of ways to access health that may

not be psychotherapy but other forms of care >> and i quickly chime in on that one? we partner with headspace and health in san francisco. where giving outgiving outgivint professional licenses. check out our website. you will get free access to an app for your. it helps you sleep, meditation and other. just a plan for free services. >> i am into that. >> there are other ways access. there are multiple challenges with accessing mental health resources. it may be a financial barrier for folks. in that case you can touch base with your insurance carrier. there are other low-cost ways. even if you try to get in with a counselor, many of them have wait lists because there are so many people that have access to

the overload. there are other ways to think about that. if your kid is in school there is a school counselor that they can touch base with and get some support. i am at palo alalalalalal we are graduating 200 psychologists and therapists per year. they are all working in a clinic on campus. finding a university counseling or psychology program that has students in training is a great way to access low-cost therapy from people who are being supervised by licensed folks. it is another way to think about how to access if you are not able to get it in the community and more traditional ways. >> the people coming to you, seeking professional help, how are they paying for this

generally? >> i am private pay. ying out-of-pocket. e me are a lot of the times it is because they want to work with me or another provider specifically. that have been an increase in folks looking for someone who understands and connects with their experiences and they want someone who looks like them. oftentimes they have found me through a directory or word-of- mouth referral from someone they are close with. the referrals come that way. what is a good thing is a lot of therapists offer sliding scale fees. you can inquire about those openings too because a part of those -- another barrier to access to mental health care is the stigma. a lot of communities, there is stigma related to even talking about what is happening with you or in your family because that is against the rule. it is a violation to talk about

what is happening in your personal life with someone outside of your family. i am happy people are feeling more comfortable to reach out. also, to feel empowered. >> dr. saunders i am glad you brought stigma. amanda wants to knowto knowto kw you help someone who is skeptical about seeking mental health services? if you know someone who needs help but they are not there because of stigma or whatever reason dr. garcia, what do you think? >> it is funny. for someone who is hesitant or for families who are hesitant i would even tell them you can call to consult. for example, at edgewood we have a crisis stabilization unit. you don't have to be in crisis. families can call our crisis stabilization unit and get consultation on was sort of

issues they are faciare faciarei calling some mental health professional, your texting crisis outline. doesn't mean you're entering a relationship that would be forever. you can just make one phone call or one text and find out what it is about and ask your questions. ask a lot of questions. think of it as that is one way to do it. another way is to also join some appear support groups on facebook or whatever social media you may be on that as well reviewed and see what people there are doing. that can often lead to professional help as well. some of those those those those

little bites rather than thinking about it as a big bite. if you're talking to a friend about it, say, why don't you call and ask them questions? you can always hang up.hang up.u >> i am going to jump in. dr. garcia, thank you so much. we are taking a quick break on air but the conversation will continue right now on facebook and youtube. we will be back on tv in a few. it's beauty, - [macaw vo] pretty boy. - or the beast. - the beauty, - [macaw vo] pretty boy. has failed. the beast, john cox, will shake up sacramento, cut taxes. learn about california's nicest, smartest beast at johncox.com

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after years of being in the shadow, finally discussions about mental health are coming out into the open. over and prince harry have a new docuseries about mental health where people like lady gaga, glenn close are sharing their struggles. >> we also of course want to thank you to our panel of experts for taking time out of all of your very busy schedules to talk with us about your mental health and all of our mental health. health. health.

>> >> some final thoughts. i was speaking with a wonderful psychologist this week who is an expert on compassion focus. asked if there was a way we can work to support each other's mental health. he said unequivocally yes suggest lifetime of anxiety on your boss or coworker all at once but to let someone know if you are feeling nervous or awkward as you head back to the office or an in person activity or if you're feeling down as you deal with something difficult in your life. that someone oh. said in return you will realize that person understands and may actually be dealing with something similar.

instead of feeling lonely and disconnected from others, you get to share in empathy and connect with others. i think it can all go a long way toward making these days little easier by ssn and kindss really hurt. i thought that time alone would heal it. it didn't. it just got worse. i saw my doctor and he me to physical therapy and now we are going to do some imaging. i don't know how this story ends but i am hopeful i will regain full use of my arm and my shoulder. it is not easy to get my shoulder back in business. it is time-consuming. it is painful. it was reallysyt he one ss or app my ff beee shlderhealth and my mental health. have you tried getting mental health treatment? it is not just a message on your apt to a doctor. it can be a maze of nose before you reach a yes. by that time a lot of us .

that is not your fault. i am sorry you have to fight to get help for what should be automatic. i say start actively mentioning mental health to your friends, family and employers. the more we talk about mental health like it is as normal as a shoulder injury the more we may finally treated that way. can i get an amen? >> amen! great storytelling as always. if you missed some of today's conversation you can watch it all over again on our connected tv apps if you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts you can find your ally at abc7news.com/take action. we have links to resources. you can also call the national suicide prevention lifeline at one 802 73 tal k. >> i wrote down these things that meant a lot to me today. dr. lamarr, lower your expectations of you and others. dr. garcia, ask your kids do

you want to go for a ride? make it nonconfrontational. you don't have to stare at each other. go for a ride. what did you get out i am robert strickler. i've been involved in communications in the media for 45 years. i've been taking prevagen on a regular basis for at least eight years. for me, the greatest benefit over the years has been that prevagen seems to help me recall things and also think more clearly. and i enthusiastically recommend prevagen. it has helped me an awful lot. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

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next at 5:00, zero covid-19 patients. san francisco hit as milestone as the city changes how people can meet up at bars and ball games. the new delay on a plan that would have allowed workers to return to work without mas y area. asthma as, marin county considers how to save water. a mountain lion prowling around san francisco, his long journey to get here and the new video of him being examined by veterinarians. building a new bay area, this is abc 7 news. we begin with a new sign of hope in the pandemic. good evening, and thank you for

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