By Arielle Dreher
The Spokesman-Review
State and local mental health providers are preparing for a deluge of demand on the state’s mental health care systems this fall, as forecasts predict October and November will mark the lowest points in mental health and behavioral health responses in people because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
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. Kira Mauseth, the Department of Health’s leader of the state’s behavioral health strike team.
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.
The Department of Health formed a behavioral health group at the outset of the pandemic to offer guidance and predictions on how the mental and behavioral effects of the pandemic will play out in Washington.
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 Washington and the Northern states, it comes at the time of year where we lose daylight and the weather changes, and you have seasonal affective conditions,” she said.
The Department of Health predicted adverse mental health impacts of the pandemic very early on, but now that fall is here, those realities are setting in.
“In Washington, the highest risk of suicide is most likely to occur between October and December 2020,” state health department guidance says. “This estimate is based on known cycles of disaster response patterns. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) exacerbates mental health challenges at that time of year due to increased hours of darkness and inclement weather. Winter holidays can also worsen mental health challenges for many people, as they are often an emotionally and financially difficult time of year.”
In other words, fall is predicted to be a critical time for residents’ mental health, and as Dr. Mauseth says, “the ingredients for fall are pretty difficult to say the least.”
Data indicate the pandemic is already taking a toll on both young and old residents.
Adolescents in Washington state have not escaped the inevitable impacts of the pandemic. The Washington Poison Center reports a 5% increase in youth intentionally harming themselves or indicating suicidal intent. Abuse has increased 34% compared to 2019 for adolescents.
Statewide domestic violence offense reports were higher every single week from April to July, when comparing 2019 to 2020, according to data from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
“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, Washington is more well-equipped than other folks.”
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 Health Care Authority show.
The Washington Listens line is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1-833-681-0211. The Regional Mental Health crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-877-266-1818. The Washington Department of Health has released a behavioral health toolbox for families available here.
