Mental Wellness Wednesday: Depression and the pandemic

In honor of May being Mental Wellness Awareness Month, every Wednesday we will be featuring a different discussion with an expert from UnitedHealthcare. Interview featured on ABC11 on May 5, 2021.

Dr. Williams shares that some signs of depression may include: trouble concentrating or remembering things, overeating or loss of appetite, not sleeping well, and irritability. He also offered some ideas of how to cope: engage in a new hobby, set a small goal to complete a small task, or to reach out to loved ones.

If you're noticing these symptoms, it might be time to reach out to your primary care or mental health practitioner for support.

Provider Bio

Dr. Alton L. Williams

Dr. Alton L. Williams is a Behavioral Health Medical Director for UnitedHealth Group - Optum, where he uses critical diagnostic, evaluative, and writing skills to help people live healthier lives and help the health care system work better for everyone. Dr. Williams has a very diverse background, in various settings ranging from major teaching hospitals to correctional facilities and large law firms, and working in several roles including a forensic psychiatrist and a consulting associate at Duke University.

Dr. Williams holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.D. from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina. He is board-certified in both general and forensic psychiatry and has practiced forensic psychiatry and provided clinical care at local hospitals.

UnitedHealthcare's mission is to "help people live healthier lives".