Mental гƵ During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has raged since early 2020, with no end in sight. At the same time, an associated decline in mental health has created “a second pandemic,” says Mark Rapaport, MD, CEO of HMHI and chair of the Department of Psychiatry.
Measures of mental well-being have fallen as people struggle with the climbing death toll and economic hardship. More than 42 percent of US adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in a US Census Bureau survey in December 2020. Alcohol consumption and substance abuse increased. And when we needed support most, social distancing kept us apart.
COVID-19 has also deepened existing differences in mental health. For instance, Hispanic adults now report symptoms of depression 59 percent more often than non-Hispanic White adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Young people have shown the greatest vulnerability. Rates of substance abuse and recent suicidal thoughts are twice as high among teens as adults. Emergency room visits for mental health concerns are up nearly 50 percent among youth, the CDC reports.
And more than half of frontline workers—including teachers, health care workers, and first responders— screened positive for mental health risks, according to research led by Andrew Smith, director of the Occupational Trauma Program at HMHI.
Agile Response
At the outset of the pandemic, HMHI responded quickly to ensure Utahns had continued access to mental health care.
Outpatient clinics ramped up telehealth to keep patients and clinicians safe. After insurance companies agreed to reimburse services, telehealth shifted from occasional specialty clinics to appointments every hour.
The inpatient hospital stayed nimble and flexible. Chief residents helped craft some of the policies surrounding pandemic response. They helped ensure that residents and staff were vigilant about protecting patients while caring for them.
Youth гƵ safely met the needs of patients, even those who were COVID-positive, and also dealt with outbreaks and exposures in families and caregivers.
The statewide SafeUT Crisis Chat & Tip Line remains available 24/7 for kids K through 12 who need support, crisis counseling, and suicide prevention or referral services. The program has been expanded to college students and special populations, such as first responders and the Utah National Guard.
Even research like the Adolescent Brain and Child Development Study, with more than 1,000 гƵren enrolled at HMHI, used Zoom video conferencing for key measurements.
Future Promise
If there’s a positive impact from the pandemic, it’s the change in awareness of mental health issues.
“Suddenly, there’s a sense of compassion that any of us may experience mental health concerns,” says Rapaport. Increasing awareness and acceptance of mental health issues is a critical step toward addressing them.
Looking forward, HMHI is working to open a Spanishspeaking clinic in Park City that will serve the 30 percent of Summit County residents whose primary language is Spanish. And the Mental гƵ Crisis Care Center in Salt Lake City will ensure everyone has 24/7, non-refusal access to mental health services.
Still, the recent stress and trauma may produce longterm consequences. HMHI researchers are investigating the impacts of social isolation and COVID-19 on гƵ development. “Even after the pandemic subsides, the mental health issues the pandemic left behind could continue for years,” says Rapaport.
HMHI launched in January of 2021 at an ideal time to tackle mental health challenges already plaguing Utah as well as those that arose during the pandemic. New initiatives launched during COVID-19 are a good start. But the work on mental health must continue until every person can access affordable and comprehensive mental health services whenever they’re needed.