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Mental Health

Mental Health Is Important going into 2022 like never before

By El Pablo 1xPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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It's okay to not be okay. Photo Credit: The Tower Times

Mental health refers to a person's emotional, cognitive and psychological well-being. Mental health issues can impact both patients and physicians.

Psychologists in the United States report a significant increase in demand for mental health services.

FACTS! You are not ALONE! photo credit: Widener University

(HealthDay News) — WEDNESDAY, Oct. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Americans seeking treatment for anxiety and depression has risen dramatically, resulting in a "mental health tsunami," according to a renowned medical organization.

The American Psychological Association conducted a nationwide survey of psychologists and found this to be the most important finding (APA).

"[The findings] confirm what we've been saying since the beginning of the pandemic: we're dealing with a mental health tsunami," Arthur Evans Jr., the association's CEO, said. "We must continue to support telehealth treatment and invest in screening, prevention, and new interventions to increase access to multiple levels of care," says the report.

Overall, 84 percent of respondents who treat anxiety disorders and 72 percent of those who treat depression said that demand for treatment has increased this year, compared to 74 percent and 60%, respectively, in 2020.

Other mental health difficulties, such as sleep disorders, obsessive-compulsive and associated disorders, and substance-related and addictive disorders, have seen an increase in demand this year, according to the poll.

Almost twice as many respondents (62%) indicated they had gotten more referrals this year than last year, and 68 percent of those on a waitlist said it had grown longer since the pandemic began.

And psychologists are finding it difficult to meet the demands. Fourteen percent indicated they couldn't satisfy treatment demand, up from thirty percent last year. The percentage of people who claimed they were burned out increased to 46% from 41% last year.

More than 1,100 psychologists took part in the new study, which took place between August 30 and September 17.

"The pressures on psychological practitioners have increased as more people seek treatment for mental health disorders," Evans said in a news statement from the organization. "Psychologists, like many other health-care practitioners, are under pressure."

According to the poll, many psychologists have turned to telehealth, with 96 percent continuing to deliver at least some treatments remotely.

According to the APA, only 4% of doctors have returned to seeing patients entirely in person in 2021, but 50% have chosen a hybrid strategy, seeing some patients in person and some remotely, indicating a delayed return to the office.

77 percent of respondents indicated they were maintaining a positive work-life balance as a result of the increasing obligations, up from 66 percent last year. Self-care was reported by 64% of respondents, up from 55% the previous year.

In addition to record drug overdose death rates, the United States has seen an increase in anxiety, sadness, and other mental health issues. The government revealed plans to address the problem head-on earlier this week, with Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy publishing a public statement that warns of a "mental health crisis" among young people.

The warning was backed by a 53-page analysis that outlined the variables that are contributing to increased incidence of mental illness. The research also included recommendations for how to start tackling issues at the local, community, and individual levels.

"It would be a tragedy if we successfully combated one public health catastrophe only to have another emerge in its place," Murthy wrote.

Suicides and mental health concerns have been on the rise long before the pandemic. Nonetheless, the declaration is the first time that mental health has been classified as a public health crisis at the federal level.

The World Health Organization has more on mental health and COVID-19.

SOURCE: American Psychological Association, news release, Oct. 19, 2021

Written BY: Ladarius "El Pablo 1x" Trotter

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About the Creator

El Pablo 1x

Independent artist, song writer, and producer born in West Memphis, AR, raised in Milwaukee, WI, I'm culturally rounded. Google me @El Pablo1x and find me on all your favorite platform

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