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COVID-19
WHERE TO FROM HERE

COVID-19 Causing PTSD

Among Dual Healthcare

Worker Households

By Erika Gonzalez, MD

COVID-19 has changed much of daily life in America and world- you’re needed.
wide. The children of our nation are being affected in their educa- In some households, dual-physician households are sending their
tion, their daily activities and their social capabilities. The children children off to live with grandparents or other family relatives.
of doctors, however, are facing some eerie parallels to those of ac- When parents – both military – are deployed at the same time,
tive duty military parents. The struggles created when a set of mil- something similar happens. Arrangements are commonly in place
itary parents deploy are now being faced during the time of to ensure that kids have someone familiar watching over them.
COVID-19 in dual healthcare worker households. Physicians have taken this route during the pandemic due to the
As parents and physicians, we face the harsh reality that our com- daily ‘frontline’ work that occupies their lives and for fear that they
munity relies on our care in the face of illness and that our children could expose their loved ones to the deadly virus.
rely on that same care, at the same time. It isn’t a burden to care for There is no research – that I could find – that supports this the-
our kids, nor is it a burden to care for the community, but it is daunt- ory. However, the research similar to that presented here shows the
ing to know that our children may feel the same as they did when effects of missing a parent for long periods. To resist these harsh
we are out on deployment. effects on our children, we have to understand them first; we have
Published by Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, a journal piece en- to address the elephant in the room from the get-go.
titled “Psychiatric Effects of Military Deployment on Children and How do we address the possible psychological effects of this oc-
Families” noted that “a study of Army spouses with a deployed currence? Speak up. Sit with your children, explain the need for your
service member with children aged 5 to 12 years showed one-third extended working hours. Reassure them that they are safe. Answer
of the children were at high risk for psychosocial morbidity.” any questions they have. Work with your employer to request shifts
Similarly, in an article published by Children and Adolescent Psychiatry that alternate with your spouse or partner. Use tools like Facetime
and Mental Health, we see that “the reduced contact with the de- and Zoom to recreate the family unit through this alternative
ployed parent, concerns about that parent’s safety, and the role con- medium.
fusion brought on by taking on too-early and possibly There is no “one” solution, nor is there just one type of family
age-inappropriate family responsibilities can lead to physical and dynamic. These types of challenges arise when the world around us
mental overload.” is changing. Schools and the workplace are among the most notable
With COVID-19 causing physician burnout and a need for rooms places with long-term effects, but the truth is, our homes may never
in a home to desterilize, children may feel similar emotions when be the same either. We have Coronavirus to blame for that.
faced with one or two parents working countless hours. Unlike the
military, there aren’t safeguards in place to attempt to keep both par- Erika Gonzales-Reyes, MD is board-certified in Allergy and Immunology
ents from ‘deployment’ at the same time. When you’re needed, and Pediatrics, and is a member of the Bexar County Medical Society.

28 San Antonio Medicine • July 2020