“There is an overwhelming sense of malaise and fatigue.”
From The New York Times:
As Americans head into a third year of pandemic living, therapists around the country are finding themselves on the front lines of a mental health crisis. Social workers, psychologists and counselors from every state say they can’t keep up with an unrelenting demand for their services, and many must turn away patients — including children — who are desperate for support.
“All the therapists I know have experienced a demand for therapy that is like nothing they have experienced before,” said Tom Lachiusa, a licensed clinical social worker in Longmeadow, Mass. “Every available time slot I can offer is filled.”
The New York Times asked 1,320 mental health professionals to tell us how their patients were coping as pandemic restrictions eased. General anxiety and depression are the most common reasons patients seek support, but family and relationship issues also dominate therapy conversations. One in four providers said suicidal thoughts were among the top reasons clients were seeking therapy.
“I regularly wished aloud for a mental health version of Dr. Fauci to give daily briefings,” said Lakeasha Sullivan, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta. “I tried to normalize the wide range of intense emotions people felt; some thought they were truly going crazy.”
Related: How is the pandemic affecting clergy?
The responses to our survey, sent by Psychology Today to its professional members, offer insights into what frontline mental health workers around the country are hearing from their clients. We heard from mental health providers in all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. (You can learn more about how we conducted our survey at the end of this article.)
While there were moments of optimism about telemedicine and reduced stigma around therapy, the responses painted a mostly grim picture of a growing crisis, which several therapists described as a “second pandemic” of mental health problems.
“There is so much grief and loss,” said Anne Compagna-Doll, a clinical psychologist in Burbank, Calif. “One of my clients, who is usually patient, is experiencing road rage. Another client, who is a mom of two teens, is fearful and doesn’t want them to leave the house. My highly work-motivated client is considering leaving her career. There is an overwhelming sense of malaise and fatigue.”
Read on to discover what therapists are hearing from their patients.
For ways to cope with this crisis from a Catholic perspective, check out these resources.The list includes a link that features this prayer, by Sister Deborah Troillett:
Christ Our Light!
Your light rises in our darkness and assures us that you are present with us
and that your powerful closeness to us transforms our fear into hope.
May we join with our Holy Father, Francis, in spreading a “contagion” of
hope “from heart to heart”.
Protect all your selfless servants who continue to serve the needs of the
most vulnerable by both hands and heart.
Give our elected leaders wisdom of heart in decision-making that the
common good of our human family may be achieved and the gift of each
person’s human dignity respected.
May the new Easter fire of love, energy and resilience burn within our
hearts so that we may give witness to the mystery of your resurrected life
among us and within us.
Amen
