This past year has taken a toll on our mental health

The one-year anniversary of the pandemic brought to mind the impact that this uncertain time has had on mental health.

Prior to 2020, demands for mental health treatment were already on the rise, thanks in part to continued strides in destigmatizing mental health issues, increasing parity and recognizing mental health conditions. At baseline, the system was already taxed, as anyone who sought an appointment with a local psychiatrist, or especially a child and adolescent psychiatrist, could vouch.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the global response to it created a significant increase in pressure on the already strained mental health system. Wait lists to get into hospitals and outpatient clinics alike have seen tremendous increases in a seemingly more urgent environment. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and long-term effects of stress such as post-traumatic stress disorder have become significantly more prevalent.

Surveys have shown that around 40% of Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in December 2020 as compared to 11% over the summer of 2019.

Fear of COVID-19 infection, social isolation and a lack of social and emotional outlets have taken a serious toll on individuals. We also know that an increase in financial instability has added yet another level of stress. Lasting economic insecurity has led to a notable amount of clinically significant anxiety, depression, increased substance use and even domestic violence and interfamilial turmoil.

Biologically, the basis for stress and anxiety is intended to be protective — to help you be ready for and prepare for foreseeable danger or needs. However, the anxiety due to the stressors and insecurities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly debilitating to the point of requiring professional intervention for many.

Anxiety and depression have hit every age group hard and the lack of engagement with family, friends and loved ones has taken its toll on all of us. For some of us, this anxiety has led to habits such as compulsively buying toilet paper despite the fact that the grocery shelves — and our own pantries — have been well-stocked for months. But, for many, the effects are lasting and go far beyond these compulsions.

A lot of attention has been paid to the fact that young people have been among the most vulnerable to psychic distress and have demonstrated some of the highest increases in signs and symptoms of mental health issues — and rightfully so.

This is the first crisis of this magnitude that we have faced as a nation in most of our lifetimes, and children have been asked to be incredibly flexible and adaptive as they begin their lives in this unpredictable time. Some of the most beneficial things in an individual’s development are stability and predictability — which this past year has provided very little of. We also know that young people are especially social beings, yet they have been asked to spend much of the past year at home in virtual school and without the social dates they so cherish and rely upon.

Young children and teenagers are incredibly resilient, but we must continue to check in on them in the months and years ahead as life continues to move back toward pre-pandemic ways.

I would also like to note the tremendous impact that this pandemic has taken on our elderly and otherwise medically vulnerable populations. Most of what we hear in the news about this population centers on their heightened risk of dying from COVID-19. As we all add years to our lives, we naturally become more aware of our own mortality and the preciousness of the years we have left. I cannot help but remember that members of this population, who are most vulnerable to the risk of death from this pandemic, are also at very high risk of the consequences of isolation and feelings of abandonment and loneliness in some of what may be their final years. And far too many have actually taken their last breaths completely alone. This is a lot to bear.

I also would like to highlight the resilience of the American spirit through what has proved to be the most challenging of years. We have lost so much, and yet we continue to persevere. We are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel that, even a few months ago, seemed to be never-ending. To all those who have spent the past year following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, regulations and recommendations — or have done your best to do so — I applaud you. You have sacrificed not only for yourself but for your fellow neighbors and strangers.

In the midst of all the anxiety, depression, hardship and turmoil, I have been encouraged by a renewed focus on the important things in life — family and friends and a cherishing of the connections that we all will soon have again.

I have also been greatly encouraged by the increased use of technology for mental health care — the virtual visit. Telemedicine has opened the doors to many who otherwise would not have been able to access mental health care due to distance and time constraints. Without the pandemic, this option likely would have been years, if not a decade, away from common practice.

I do hope that all of us who survived this year can appreciate the sacrifices and hardships of everyone in this great nation and one day soon walk out of the house breathing unmasked air, appreciating the ability to once again live united.

Dr. John P. Shand is medical director of psychiatric services at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital.

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Crédito: DR. JOHN P. SHAND | Special to LNP | LancasterOnline