Biden surgeon general pick vows to focus on MH effects of pandemic

Abstract

Vivek Murthy, President Biden's pick for surgeon general, vowed to focus on the mental health aspects of the COVID‐19 pandemic if confirmed, The Hill reported March 2. During an interview with CBS This Morning, Murthy said the United States is facing a “deeply concerning” increase in mental illness during the pandemic, including among children. Murthy said he would push for increased insurance for mental health care, and to integrate mental health care into primary care. “We know a lot of what we need to do; we just aren't doing it,” he said. “We have, for example, programs that we could be investing in in schools to help provide mental health counseling to kids to detect symptoms of mental illness early. We can train more mental health providers,” said Murthy. The vow from Murthy comes after the Senate held his confirmation hearing earlier this month, where he was questioned by Sen. Mike Braun (R‐Ind.) about concerns that he would go after guns after past remarks that gun violence in America is a public health issue. Murthy said that while he wants government attention to the problem, “my focus is not on this issue, and if I'm confirmed it will be on COVID, on mental health and on substance use disorder,” according to The Associated Press.