We are in the middle of a mental health crisis. The consequences of this pandemic will be with us for years to come.
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- An alarming number of people are struggling with social isolation, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- To truly defeat the pandemic, policymakers, employers, and communities must expand access to mental healthcare.
- There are resources to find mental health professionals who charge based on a patient's income or who offer culturally-competent care.
- Erin Petersen is editor in chief of Healthline.com.
- This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Millions of Americans are now rolling up their sleeves to receive a coronavirus vaccine - and not a moment too soon, as cases and deaths are sadly spiking nationwide.
We can finally imagine a world without COVID-19, albeit months from now. The mental health consequences of this pandemic, however, will be with us for years to come.
An alarming number of people are struggling with social isolation, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Far too many have been unable to secure timely, affordable mental healthcare.
That has to change. To truly defeat the pandemic, policymakers, employers, and communities must expand access to mental healthcare.
An increase in mental health issues
The psychological costs of the pandemic were apparent early on. In a poll from March, nearly one-third of American adults reported that stress and worry about the pandemic had harmed their mental health. By mid-July, that number had grown to 53%.
A series of surveys conducted in June by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that more than 40% of Americans had at least one mental or behavioral condition linked to the pandemic.
Many people who overcome COVID-19 are gripped with serious mental health challenges soon thereafter. One in five people who acquire the virus develop mental illness within 90 days, a recent study in The Lancet Psychiatry journal found.
People of color have borne a disproportionate share of both the physical and mental toll of the pandemic. More than 15% of Black Americans - and nearly one-fifth of Hispanics - had seriously contemplated suicide in the previous 30 days, the June CDC study found.
Young people are disproportionately affected as well. According to the same CDC study, 25% of respondents aged 18 to 24 considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey, compared to 10% of all respondents.
The country has made significant headway destigmatizing mental health problems. But even before the pandemic, too many Americans faced barriers to securing mental healthcare.
A 2018 study by the National Council for Behavioral Health found that 46% of patients who have never sought mental health treatment did not know where to go to get help. More than one in five American adults wanted treatment from a mental health professional but couldn't access it for reasons outside their control.
COVID-19 has only made things worse. Millions of Americans have lost their employer-sponsored health insurance. Many state and local governments have seen tax revenues plummet. All too often, that's put mental health services on the budgetary chopping block.
We need increased mental healthcare access
To ensure that America doesn't just bounce back from the pandemic but bounces forward, we must increase access to mental healthcare.
We can start by requiring employers and insurers to offer more comprehensive mental health coverage. More than one-third of people with private coverage have trouble finding a therapist that will take their insurance, according to a study from the National Alliance on Mental Health. Lawmakers must ensure that insurance networks are adequate to meet beneficiaries' needs.
Congress can also consider expanding access to tax-advantaged accounts, like health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements. Both allow individuals to use untaxed money to pay for health services. If employees could claim a portion of their compensation through these accounts, then they could have an easier time paying for care from mental health providers that don't take insurance.
Finally, the federal government needs to provide more funding for community-based and safety-net mental health providers, including peer support groups.
There are also resources individuals can research and take advantage of. People of limited means might look for mental health professionals who charge on a sliding scale, based on patient income. Many peer-to-peer support groups, including those for people with eating disorders and substance use disorders, have moved online in response to the pandemic.
Organizations like the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective and Therapy for Latinx can help people of color find mental health professionals who provide culturally competent, sensitive, and affirming care.
COVID-19 isn't just an infectious disease. It's a threat to the mental health of millions of Americans. Beating this pandemic will take more than vaccines and therapeutics - it will take sustained access to mental healthcare, too.
Erin Petersen is editor in chief of Healthline.com.
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