Dr. Charles Raison on the Effects of COVID-19: Part 2

In this installment of "Coping During COVID-19," Psych Congress cochair Charles Raison, MD, speaks with Psych Congress Steering Committee Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, about the role of inflammation in mental health and lessons he has learned during the pandemic.

See Part 1 of the discussion here.

People have voluntarily sheltered in place during the crisis because humans have a naturally evolved fear of contagion and infection, said Dr. Raison, who will present at the upcoming Elevate and Psych Congress conferences.

"Can we use that evolutionary God-given gift to be smart now going forward so that we don’t just try to live on the edge?" he asked. "We can’t do what we’ve been doing if we don’t deal with the world of immunology, the world of the viruses and bacteria.

Dr. Raison is the Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families; Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human Ecology; and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin- Madison. He is also Director of Clinical and Translational Research for the Usona Institute, which conducts research on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin. 

"Coping During COVID-19" is an initiative designed to provide content and connection to mental health clinicians during the global pandemic.