As the world faces a “new normal”, it can be a struggle to maintain positive mental
health. With many people adapting their everyday life to limit the spread of COVID-19,
new forms of stress can present almost daily. In response to this, Robert DiTomasso,
PhD, ABPP, dean, PCOM School of Professional and Applied Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and Brittany Quimby (PsyD
’21) hosted a webinar for faculty and staff that focused on stress management as it
relates to COVID-19.
“These are uncertain times and we are thrown out of our normal routines,” said Dr. DiTomasso. “As it relates to medical information, we encourage you to seek the advice of the CDC and the World Health Organization. It is our hope, in this webinar, to help you more accurately identify what new mental health challenges have presented during this time and what can be done to manage them successfully,” said Dr. DiTomasso.
Over 30 faculty and staff members joined the interactive webinar. A live-chat messaging
feature allowed for participants to submit their thoughts and respond real-time to
the questions such as, “How do you define stress?”, “What can trigger stress?” and
“What are some common symptoms of stress?”
From here, Dr. DiTomasso and Ms. Quimby shared forty cognitive-behavior therapy-based (CBT) techniques to handle stress. CBT is a way for people to identify what is causing stress and the actionable steps they can take to overcome it. One example that Dr. DiTomasso and Ms. Quimby shared, to help manage feelings of isolation and loneliness, people can utilize tools like FaceTime to reach out to family and friends.
Dr. DiTomasso and Ms. Quimby will continue to host this webinar, giving more faculty and staff an opportunity to participate.
Learn more about PCOM's response to COVID-19.
View more mental health resources available to PCOM employees.
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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