The Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth at Mount Sinai —a first-of-its-kind initiative launched in April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to address its psychosocial impact on Mount Sinai Health System's workforce—is now offering confidential behavioral health treatment services to New Yorkers generally.
A team of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and licensed clinical social workers from the Center is now available to individuals 18 years and older who are interested in and could benefit from behavioral health treatment. Clinical services include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and medication management, all in a compassionate and supportive environment. These services are primarily geared for individuals navigating life adjustments, relationship challenges, depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma-related challenges.
"We are extending our services to the general public so we can take the discoveries we've made about health care worker resilience and behavioral health and apply that knowledge to help members of the public who could benefit from it," said Jonathan M. DePierro, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Associate Director of the Center. "By using evidence-based strategies, we aim to help a wider swath of New Yorkers strengthen resilience, improve well-being, and navigate life's challenges with confidence and growth."
Over the past five years, the Center has grown into a nationally recognized program that is lauded for providing timely and highly effective preventive and treatment services to health care workers. The team has provided more than 18,000 behavioral health care visits to Mount Sinai faculty, staff, and trainees. These services have been highly successful in reducing anxiety and depression both during and after the acute phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center has also provided more than 600 educational courses around mental health and resilience to Mount Sinai employees, including brief huddles in intensive care units and emergency departments.
"We launched the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth in the height of the pandemic to support our health care workforce who were at the epicenter of the pandemic," said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System. "To our knowledge, this Center was the first of its kind in the United States to address the full spectrum of mental health presentations experienced by health care workers and would be a national model for others. We could not have anticipated the growing need in the community for these kinds of resilience and non-traditional mental health services and we are proud to respond with a solution that is proven to be effective."
Drawing on the resources of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, one of the leading institutions in the field of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research, the Center has been collecting data and offering all participants opportunities to enroll in studies designed to better understand the particular mental health needs that have arisen from exposure to the pandemic. On average, the employees they serve report a 40 percent decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression, a 73 percent decrease in PTSD symptoms, and a 31 percent increase in well-being. Of those who screened positive for anxiety or depression at intake, more than 75 percent no longer screened positive for anxiety by their 14th visit. The treatment outcomes observed in the Center are comparable to those found in clinical treatment trials. These findings were published on February 14, 2024, in the American Journal of Public Health .
"During this time where people across the globe are experiencing record levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic symptoms, individual and community resilience has never been more necessary," said Deborah Marin, MD, George and Marion Sokolik Blumenthal Professor of Psychiatry in the Icahn School of Medicine and Director of the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth. "We are thrilled to share our expertise, experience, and services to now help New Yorkers outside the Health System face challenges with resiliency, strength, and support."
