America’s post-pandemic mental health mess in numbers: a 30-year-high in gun suicides, 1 in 5 endure mental illness, a looming shortage of 30,000 psychiatrists, and 90% say we’ve reached CRISIS point
- Covid-19 lockdowns, isolation and bleakness left an ‘indelible mark on the American psyche’
- Rates of depression, anxiety and suicide are high and appear to be holding
- About 1 in 5 say their mental health is ‘only fair’ or ‘poor’
- That figure leaps to 34 percent among adults aged under 30
- Half of young adults say they ‘always’ or ‘often’ felt anxious this past year
- The US could be short of 31,091 therapists within years
- Rising rates of depression cost the global economy $1 trillion each year, the UN says
- Those seeking help can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988
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The US marked the global day for mental health with a growing sense of alarm on Monday, with a 30-year-high in gun suicides, a looming shortage of 30,000 psychiatrists and an overwhelming number of people saying the US was in a ‘crisis’.
Studies by Ipsos, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and others have in recent days spotlighted how the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent government lockdowns have led to worse anxiety, depression and other mental health issues for millions.
According to Ipsos, the pandemic caused ‘significant mental, emotional, and social upheaval’ that left an ‘indelible mark on the American psyche’ that could only be fully comprehended now the virus was ebbing.
‘That’s leaving Americans largely unhappy with the state of mental health care’, the pollsters said in a statement, with widespread dissatisfaction ‘bridging some of the most salient and deep divisions in American society’.
A counselor talks to a young adult about. America’s mental health crisis is particularly acute among those aged under 30
Between 2020 and 2021, the number of suicides jumped from 45,957 to 48,023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those involving firearms rose from 24,292 to 26,320 to reach a 30-year-high.
Meanwhile, many states are struggling with shortages of mental health care professionals. Already, 150 million people live in areas with too few therapists, says the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The trend lines are bad, adds a study by Ohio State University. A growing population and the number of retiring mental health staff means the US will be short of between 14,280 and 31,091 professionals in the coming years.
Against the backdrop, Ipsos found the share of Americans who were unhappy with mental health care rose by 2 points to 77 percent over the past year — with Republicans and Democrats expressing similar levels of dissatisfaction.
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A KFF survey of more than 2,000 adults, meanwhile, has found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans agree that the nation is in the midst of a mental health crisis, and young people are bearing the brunt of it.
Some 34 percent of adults aged under 30 ranked their mental health as ‘only fair’ or ‘poor’ — compared to 19 percent for those aged 30 and above.
Half of them said they ‘always’ or ‘often’ felt anxious this past year, and a third said they had been feeling chronically depressed or lonely.
Another poll by the American Psychiatric Association showed that 79 percent of adults said the US was in a ‘public health emergency’ and by wide margins wanted politicians to ramp up their efforts against the scourge.
The group’s CEO and medical director, Saul Levin, said ‘people are looking for even more government action on mental health.’
The US Preventive Services Task Force, an influential health guidelines group, has in recent weeks called for screening all adults aged under 65 for anxiety — one of the most widespread mental health problems.
An overwhelming 90 percent of Americans agree that the nation is in the midst of a mental health crisis, says the Kaiser Family Foundation
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health complaints, affecting some 40 percent of US women at some point in their lives and more than 1 in 4 men, according to Lori Pbert, a member of the task force.
The proposal is open for public comment until October 17. It is the first time the group has recommended anxiety screening in primary care for adults without symptoms, and follows a surge in mental health problems linked to Covid-19.
The bereaved, minority groups and the poor are among adults who face higher risks for developing anxiety, which can manifest as panic attacks, phobias or feeling always on edge.
In a statement to mark world mental health day on Monday, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, warned that depression was on the rise and was costing the global economy $1 trillion every year.
‘While the subject of mental health is generally less taboo than 10 years ago, with CEOs, celebrities and sports stars increasingly opening up about their own struggles with anxiety and depression, there’s a still a long way to go,’ he said.
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Source: Daily Mail
