RESEARCH WEEKLY: Facilitating COVID-19 Vaccination for People with Serious Mental Illness By Kelli South Having a serious mental illness poses an increased risk of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Several factors contribute to this increased risk including the generally poorer physical health of individuals with serious mental illness, lack of access to healthcare, and high rates of smoking and obesity compared to the population at large. Due to these factors, people with a severe mental illness should be prioritized for receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent viewpoint published in JAMA Psychiatry. The authors discuss the barriers associated with ensuring people with severe mental illness receive the vaccine and solutions to overcome these barriers. Educating individuals Misinformation surrounding the vaccine and its effects may be more prevalent in people with a severe mental illness, which could reduce individuals’ willingness to take the vaccine. The authors suggest that mental health professionals should educate their clients about the vaccine, using any available data, to combat potential misconceptions. They believe mental health professionals are in the best position to convey accurate information and personalized education in a way that allows people with serious mental illness to make an informed decision about receiving the vaccine. Barriers and solutions for the system On a larger scale, people with severe mental illness face many barriers to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Historically, this population shows low flu vaccination rates; sometimes just 25% of individuals received the flu vaccine. The reasons for low flu vaccination rates will likely be the same for the COVID-19 vaccine, which include lack of access, inability to travel to vaccine location, lack of information about how to be vaccinated, and the general cost of receiving it. One potential solution for several of these barriers would be to setup vaccination locations within or alongside existing mental health service locations. The authors also suggest that more healthcare professionals should be allowed to administer the vaccine, which would expand the locations where the vaccine is available. Lastly, they note that about 80% of uninsured individuals do not receive the flu vaccine, in large part due to the cost, and therefore the COVID-19 vaccine should be provided at no cost. Implications Many state COVID-19 vaccination distribution plans do not include any mention of individuals with serious mental illness in their priority populations. As the authors note, this population is at a higher risk for COVID-19 and if infected, a higher risk for serious symptoms and possibly death. While there are existing barriers to vaccinating this group, there are also potential solutions, which must be considered as states continue to implement their vaccine distribution plans for more and more people. References Warren N, Kisely S, and Siskind D. (December 15, 2020). Maximizing the Uptake of a COVID-19 Vaccine in People with Severe Mental Illness. JAMA Psychiatry. Kelli South is the research assistant at the Treatment Advocacy Center. View as Webpage To receive Research Weekly directly in your email inbox on a weekly basis, click here. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies. Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!