The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the perceived need for behavioral health services in Polk County . Most survey respondents ( 91 % or more ) agree that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on residents ’ behavioral health and the need for SUD care .
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic , is there more , less , or about the same amount of need for mental health and drug or alcohol help for people ?
Issue
More help needed due to COVID-19 pandemic Mental health help 94 % Drug or alcohol help 91 %
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlights current and emerging barriers to behavioral health and SUD care . 35 The pandemic and the associated economic impact create new access to care issues for new patients , as well as acerbate challenges for people already receiving care . The recent ( August 2020 ) Kaiser Family Foundation ( KFF ) survey showed that more than half ( 53 %) of adults indicate that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress due to COVID-19 – much higher than in March when only 32 % indicated so . Some of the specific impacts include difficulty sleeping ( 36 % of adults ) or eating ( 32 %), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use ( 12 %), and worsening chronic medical conditions ( 12 %), due to worry and stress .
• Other behavioral health issues noted as the pandemic ends 2020 include social isolation ( especially among older people and the disabled ) 36 , stress and anxiety from actual or potential job loss , related issues of intimate partner violence and child abuse / neglect , suicide , and poor mental health due to burnout among front-line workers . Those with behavioral health issues and / or SUD pre-pandemic , and those newly affected , will likely require mental health and substance use services .
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36
Ibid . “ A broad body of research links social isolation and loneliness to poor mental health , and data from late March shows that significantly higher shares of people who were sheltering in place ( 47 %) reported negative mental health effects resulting from worry or stress related to coronavirus than among those not sheltering-inplace ( 37 %). In particular , isolation and loneliness during the pandemic may present specific mental health risks for households with adolescents and for older adults . The share of older adults ( ages 65 and up ) reporting negative mental health impacts has increased since March . Polling data shows that women with children under the age of 18 are more likely to report major negative mental health impacts than their male counterparts .”
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