'A major body blow': 2020's impact on Charlotte's mental health

Jul. 3--As the threat of the coronavirus pandemic began to shutter businesses, cancel gatherings and lead states into "shelter in place" orders, many Americans were forced into isolation. At the same time, the number of calls and texts to a national mental health crisis line increased nearly eight times.

The disaster and distress helpline by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration answered about 7,000 calls and 19,000 text messages in March, according to a report from The Center for Public Integrity. This was nearly eight times the amount it received in February, the report stated.

The stresses of the pandemic, coupled with those of the recession and nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd, are putting a strain on mental health, said Dr. Kevin Marra, director of medical services for HopeWay, a nonprofit residential mental health facility in Charlotte.

"However, they can also be opportunities for us to become better at recognizing and attending to our own mental health and engaging in healthy behaviors and activities that help combat that," Marra said.

The pandemic and following events of 2020 created a "major body blow" to everyone's daily life, said Dr. Vernon Barksdale, a psychiatrist with Novant Health.

In Charlotte, at least two area mental health providers noted an increase in requests for their services during the coronavirus pandemic, including HopeWay.

Similarly, Reia Chapman, founder and director of clinical services for the Center for Family and Maternal Wellness, said she's hiring new clinicians in response to the increased requests for care.

What are the mental health impacts?

Marra said mental health can be broken down into biological, psychological and social factors. The pandemic tends to affect the social aspect: employment, finances, relationships and isolation.

"I think inserting those risk factors into people with a mental illness or people who are vulnerable and have not yet manifested a mental illness is clearly going to worsen that," Marra said.

Marra said the stresses of the pandemic could cause mild or underlying mental illnesses to turn severe.

The pandemic could cause people who already have a tendency to worry to get trapped in a cycle of anxiousness, Marra said. This could include anxieties about their health, finances and uncertainty for the future.

Marra said HopeWay encourages socialization as a way to combat mental illness, something that can't be done in person during the pandemic.

Julia Prentice, 64, said she was struggling with her mental health -- specifically her depression and anxiety -- at the beginning of the year and was receiving treatment at HopeWay.

She was receiving outpatient care when HopeWay closed its physical location because of COVID-19.

"Many of us are feeling the effects of depression and anxiety from just being affected by the pandemic," Prentice said. "And then, when you have depression and anxiety on top of that, it makes it like 10 times worse."

Prentice said she was able to attend HopeWay sessions virtually, which was helpful for her.

For Black Americans, the intersection of fear around the coronavirus pandemic and calls for racial justice can create feelings of disenfranchisement and insecurity, Novant's Barksdale said.

"That really impacts self esteem, that really impacts a sense of personal integrity and value," Barksdale said. "And those areas feed into problems such as depression, anxiety, difficulties with substance abuse, domestic violence."

Chapman's practice caters primarily to people of color and other groups that aren't as likely to receive mental health care, she said. Recently she's seen her clients grow anxious about what is going on in their community, specifically those with children who are concerned with their interactions with police.

She said many of her professional clients have felt less comfortable in the workplace, saying they've felt more targeted and experienced microaggressions.

"I've even had people to the point of having to take leave, like short term disability, because it's gotten so anxiety provoking, and people are concerned they're going to lose their jobs," Chapman said.

Chapman has also noticed clients having "thematic" issues: headaches, trouble sleeping and hyper-vigilance. Many of these stressors pile onto existing worries caused by the pandemic, including finances and emotional health.

Chapman noted that the intersection of the pandemic and protests for racial justice could cause direct conflict within families. She said some may feel inspired by the moment to protest and organize while others are more concerned with their safety from the coronavirus.

"The pandemic is sort of forcing white America to sort of experience in a very mild way what it may be like to experience ... lack or disparity," Chapman said. "So I think that sort of leads into the energy behind the protests."

Increasing accessibility

Marra said HopeWay tried to adapt to virtual group therapy to accommodate its clients.

"People who may have once struggled to actually get to treatment because of their anxiety and depression have much more of an ease of joining the group," Marra said.

Chapman attributes the increase in requests for services partially to people being able to receive the service from home. She said telehealth made services more accessible to people who physically couldn't go to sessions.

She said the people who could most benefit from virtual health services are the elderly and people who have to pay for transportation.

Still, Chapman said some insurance plans -- both private and public -- don't cover virtual sessions.

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