From a year since COVID-19 was declared a global emergency, Utah health experts are warning about what is being called a second pandemic within that pandemic. ‘
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has probably not yet been fully realized, but studies have already shown trends, including increases in anxiety, depression and drug abuse in the state and nationwide, put local mental health experts in a virtual statement said. news conference hosted by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute of the University of Utah.
“Today, a year ago, we started going into a situation we had never had in our lives,” said Dr. Mark Rapaport, chief executive of the Huntsman Mental Institute, said Thursday.
“It was suddenly a feeling of helplessness. All of a sudden there was a change in agency – a change in our belief that we were somehow in control of our lives and our destiny. We embarked on a journey that enabled us to experience sadness, loneliness, and a sense of helplessness in ways we could never have imagined in our lifetime. ‘
Rapaport said that ‘the definition of what an essential worker’ is changing drastically, and Utahns and people worldwide have all experienced ‘remarkable changes’.
With all the changes, evidence is growing that more Americans are experiencing problems with anxiety and depression, Rapaport said. Plus, “the volume of alcohol sales has skyrocketed, as have problems with drug use disorders,” he said.
“We currently have a second pandemic within the pandemic,” Rapaport said.
Research by dr. Andrew Smith, a clinical psychologist at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, found that more than half of teachers, medical workers, and emergencies are at risk for mental health problems, especially alcohol use, insomnia, and depression.
Last year, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute also received more than 105,000 calls for help. Total calls to the institute’s Statewide CrisisLine and Statewide WarmLine – telephone lines intended to provide assistance to mental health – according to the institute together increased by 48% from March 2021 compared to March 2020. These calls increased by 42% year on year for the Utah CrisisLine, and 68% for the Utah WarmLine.
In addition, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute has seen an ‘increased level of stress and emotional crisis’ from callers since the start of the pandemic. According to the institute, it takes certified crisis workers 41% longer to support callers in March compared to March 2020.
“This is a time of tremendous change and tremendous opportunity,” Rapaport said.
He called on Utahns to be ‘very vigilant’ and look at red flags from their loved ones and others, warning that the effects of the mental health pandemic have probably not yet been fully realized.
“We do not know the impact of all these changes on children of different ages,” he said. “We will have to work very, very hard and give a lot of time and attention to caring for children, first responders and to each other in an empathetic and respectful way.”
Rachel Lucynski, operations manager for crisis services at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, told of a woman who recently called a crisis line and said she wanted to die. She was planning and did have a plan and had access to lethal drugs. ‘
“She was in the basement of her house trying to disrupt her husband, who worked from home,” Lucynski said.
Lucynski said crisis line workers kept the woman on the phone for 30 minutes and helped support her through one of the three panic attacks she has had in the past twelve hours. A mobile crisis outreach team then went to her home and met her. Eventually, the woman was taken to the institute and health workers set her up for follow-up care.
“She left hopeful and was grateful for the support and collaborative intervention of our team,” Lucynski said. “Ultimately, it saved her the cost of an emergency ward visit, and it definitely saved her family from a very devastating and traumatic experience.”
Referring to surveys by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, KFF polls and data from the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Rapaport and other health experts who joined him on Thursday, a number of statistics are of concern to them. This included:
- 4 out of ten adults reported new symptoms of anxiety and depression disorders, an increase since four years.
- Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are twice as likely to report new or increased substance use (25% compared to 13%) and recent suicidal thoughts (26% compared to 11%).
- More women than men face mental health challenges. During the pandemic, women reported more symptoms of anxiety and / or depression (47% compared to 38%).
- Between March and October 2020, the number of emergency visits nationwide by children under 18 due to mental health reasons increased by 44% over the previous year, according to the CDC. For children between 5 and 11 years, it increased by 24%.
- People who lose their jobs are at a higher risk for mental health problems. Adults in households experiencing job losses or declining incomes report higher mental health symptoms than other households (53% compared to 32%).
- Essential workers have more challenges than other workers. Emergency workers are more likely to report symptoms of anxiety or depression (42% vs. 30%), increased substance use (25% vs. 11%), or recent suicidal thoughts (22% vs. 8%).
- Communities of color are affected disproportionately. Non-Hispanic black adults (48%) and Hispanic or Latino adults (46%) report more symptoms of anxiety or depression than white adults (40%).
In an investigation released by the Utah Department of Health in late January that there were no significant increases in suicides, mental distress or drug overdoses, Rapaport said the data “does not match what we see nationally. ”
“What happens so often with studies is that they are snapshots at times that people see,” he said. ‘We know well from the CDC, but we know well from published research, not only in this country but also in other countries, that the depression rates, the suicide and suicide attempts, drug use disorders and overdose deaths as well as anxiety are unfortunately good. disorders and PTSD increased dramatically. ”
Rapaport said that when we look at the “weight of scientific evidence” in international studies, “everyone points out that we are in a mental health pandemic.”
Lucynski said mental health experts are waiting “with bated breath to see the delayed consequences” of the pandemic.
‘We are therefore encouraged, and especially crisis services, we feel proud of the services we provide to the state of Utah, and hope and feel that those are helping to alleviate some of the heightened tensions and ensure that people have no cost access. to life-saving services, ”Lucynski said. “We certainly know that there is a preliminary and encouraging result, but that there is still a lot of work to be done.”
One suicide is still too much, Lucynski added.
Dr Kristin Francis, clinical assistant professor specializing in adult, child and adolescent psychiatry at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, said: “There is some good evidence that there is about two years of delay after a major crisis where suicides increase. ”
So there could be a delay or a buffer between the pandemic and when the severity of its impact on mental health will fully emerge, Francis said.
“Suicide rates could rise by as much as 6%, previously seen in other major disasters,” she said. ‘So I think it’s very important that we are aware of this time frame, right? We are just in our first year of the pandemic. ”
Anecdotally, Francis said, she sees more and more people seeking support for ‘fairly intense suicidal thoughts’.
For assistance, Utahns can call the Utah CrisisLine, which is available 24/7 and can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 (toll free) or 801-587-3000 (local). The Utah WarmLine is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. by calling 833-SPEAKUT.