Pandemic influenza and behavioral health: State trends and future technological directions

Pandemic influenza continues to be a global threat with potentially devastating consequences. Following the onset of a pandemic, the mental health and substance abuse needs at the State and local level will challenge current behavioral health systems and require innovative approaches to service delivery and risk communications. For this reason, State and local public behavioral health systems have increasingly recognized the critical behavioral health issues related to pandemic influenza and the role of behavioral health preparedness and response. Based on the provision of 3 years of pandemic influenza behavioral health technical assistance to States and local communities, this presentation will explore trends in behavioral health pandemic influenza preparedness efforts. Such advances include the development of psychoeducational resources addressing pandemic influenza, State behavioral health infrastructure and response planning, and increased attention to behavioral health interventions as a means to increase individual and community resilience and reinforce non-pharmaceutical interventions such as isolation, quarantine, and other social-distancing measures. A review of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome behavioral health literature used by States to inform resource development and preparedness planning will be presented. In addition, solutions for addressing possible risks associated with delivering in-person behavioral health interventions during an influenza pandemic will also be discussed, including a range of technologies such as videoconferencing and discussion forums, which can be utilized to provide information and services to communities when in-person contact is not possible. Suggestions for the use of such technologies will be given and the feasibility of implementation will be discussed.