Mental health care providers brace for what could be a 'pretty difficult' fall
Spokesman-ReviewSep 08, 2020
Disasters always bring about a heightened behavioral response, but COVID-19 is a bit different than a more typical event like a hurricane or flood, which are usually over in a few hours or days.
"With COVID, the responses people are having are (marked) by the sense of isolation and uncertainty, so that's not PTSD, it's depression," said Dr.
A new spike in COVID-19 infections in the fall could also trigger what Mauseth called a "disaster cascade" pattern, which could restart the current pandemic disaster response curve that we are all living through.
Entering 'disillusionment'
The pandemic has stretched both people who already receive mental health care or treatment, as well as those who have never sought help for their mental health.
Thus far, its predictions are right on target, including a projected dip to the lowest points of what is called the "disillusionment phase" of the pandemic curve in October and November.
"That's when people are struggling the most with behavioral health symptoms, and they tend to be depression-oriented," Mauseth said.
People in the "disillusionment phase" struggle with what the new normal looks like, what will change and what will stay the same, which brings about a lot of grief and loss, she added.
"Unfortunately for
"In
In other words, fall is predicted to be a critical time for residents' mental health, and as
Data indicate the pandemic is already taking a toll on both young and old residents.
Adolescents in
Statewide domestic violence offense reports were higher every single week from April to July, when comparing 2019 to 2020, according to data from the
Local resources will be stretched
Locally, behavioral and mental health resources are already being stretched thin.
The majority of Frontier services are being offered through telehealth , although some outpatient treatment services, including crisis response teams, are working in-person. If statewide projections are correct, Thomas said, the region's mental health care system will be taxed this fall, including at Frontier, where he anticipates the agency will get to capacity eventually.
"The mental health system is not going to be able to expand to respond adequately to the projected increase in need if that turns out to be an accurate projection," Thomas said.
"The majority of what we're seeing is an exacerbation of symptoms and more acuity," said
The number of first-time clients at INBH as well as the number of walk-in clients has also increased.
INBH has seen a 365% increase in patients with schizophrenia; a 140% increase in patients with major depressive orders with psychotic features; and a 198% increase in patients with schizophrenic depressive-type disorders, all compared to client diagnoses pre-COVID.
The length of stay has ebbed and flowed since the pandemic began but is on the uptick. Typically, patients stay on average nine days. In July, the average length of stay was 10.2 days and got as many as 12 days earlier this year.
The psychiatric hospital has had days during which it is treating as many patients as possible, with its staffing resources, including on its adolescent wing. Other resources, like
Thomas believes that Frontier and the region's mental health resources will be at capacity this fall, although he noted Frontier will never really "cap out" on patients it can take, but instead just might have to delay a patient's intake start time.
Similarly, INHS will assess everyone who walks through its doors. Most local mental health providers will not turn away people seeking services, even if they are at capacity, although increased demand might make wait times longer or delay access to services.
"No state will be able to meet every need, so there will be a resource scarcity in terms of mental and resource availability," Mauseth said. "But having said that,
Building up resilience
The glimmer of hope in the near future is that education and access to information can go a long way to building resilience and preventing crises down the road.
Mauseth said there is a lot of research that shows having accurate information and simply knowing that "Oh, hey. I'm normal!" or not alone can go a long way to increasing a person's resiliency.
"Getting that information out there is a data-driven way to increase resilience in the population in general, and the other thing I would focus on is balance and structure around what they do know. So making structure for your kids to the extent that you can, keeping it simple and efforts focused on yourself and your family," Mauseth said.
The state established a support line called Washington Listens for residents who need support to manage stress because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The line is anonymous, and listeners can connect callers to community resources as well.
The Washington Listens line has taken nearly 4,400 calls so far. Calls to the line have also led to at least 228 in-person visits at local tribal providers, some of which are participating in the program. About 75% of calls to the line last longer than 15 minutes, data from the
The region's mental health crisis line, which
"There will be an increased imperative given to using alternative supports," Thomas said, pointing to resources like the Washington Listens hotline.
"It's good to encourage individuals to use other resources and supports: family, friends, faith-based agencies, community groups," he added. "They can go a long way for individuals in need."
The Washington Listens line is available Monday through Friday from
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