The number of Americans seeking mental health treatment has nearly doubled from 20 years ago. This reflects not only the recent historic decline in mental health, but also the positive trend of increasing access to and stigmatization of virtual care.
In 2004, only 13% of adults said they had visited a therapist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional within the past year. Gallup pollBy 2022, that number was up to 23%.
The shift began before COVID-19 arrived, but the pandemic has created a new surge in demand for care, especially among young adults. Between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of Americans aged 18 to 44 who had received mental health treatment, such as medication, counseling, or therapy, in the past 12 months increased from 18.5% to He jumped to over 23%. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.
“There was definitely a huge demand for our services in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic,” said Daniel Friedberg, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago.
A majority of psychologists report more patients seeking help for anxiety, depression, or stress-related disorders in 2020. American Psychological Association.
Many health experts have linked increased demand to the plummeting mental health during the pandemic, Americans report depression and anxiety.
However, some health experts believe the numbers tell a different story. It’s all about telemedicine success.
Mark Orffson, Elizabeth K. Dollar’s professor of psychiatry, medicine, and law and professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center, said, “It shows that rates of depression are increasing, especially among young people. I think we have the evidence.
However, he added, “the most important factor driving the increased demand for psychotherapy is a change in the underlying structure of how psychotherapy is delivered.”
Telehealth was rarely used before the pandemic, accounting for just 1% of outpatient visits for mental health and substance use problems, according to data from the health policy research institute KFF. Usage surges in 2020, telemedicine makes up for it 40 percent Number of mental health and substance use outpatient visits from March to August of the year. A year later, it was still high, even though other outpatient treatments had reverted to primarily face-to-face visits.
Telehealth Mental health services have their drawbacks. Mental health professionals found it harder to understand body language during teletherapy sessions compared to face-to-face sessions, and were more likely to be distracted from background noise, pets, and other family members during teletherapy sessions. But data show that virtual therapy and counseling work for many patients.
A survey of 1,200 people conducted last year by YouGov and Forbes Health found: 63 percent Eight people who received telemedicine reported it was effective.
One of the attractions of teletherapy is its convenience, Orfsson explains. Reservations can be made anywhere there is a phone or internet service.
Another attraction is privacy.
“[People] No more driving across town and sitting in a waiting room where friends and neighbors can see them while waiting for a counselor or psychotherapist,” said Olfsson.
Mental illness remains stigmatized and people seek help to overcome it. But that prejudice is weakening, especially among young people. This is another factor that has contributed to more Americans seeking mental health treatment in recent years.
Research shows that Gen Z, born after 1997, are much more comfortable talking about mental health than older generations. Also, Generation Z are, or are likely to be, receiving mental health treatment.
2019 report A survey by the American Psychological Association found that 37% of Gen Z have received psychotherapy or therapy, compared to 35% of Millennials and 26% of Gen X.
“When I talk to young patients, many of them talk openly to their friends about their mental health,” says Friedberg of the University of Chicago. “They talk about going to therapy, they talk about their diagnosis, they talk about what steps they’re taking to deal with it. It’s a real change.”
But while more Americans seek mental health help, there aren’t enough professionals to treat them, and that gap is expected to get worse.
The Department of Health and Human Services, estimated the national deficit A shortage of mental health care providers, including occupations ranging from psychiatrists to school counselors to family therapists, could lead to a shortage of more than 10,000 professionals by 2025.
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