COVID-19 could impact the mental health of millions in Washington state, experts say
In addition to causing nearly 900 deaths and severe damage to the economy, COVID-19 likely will take a mental health toll on millions of Washington state residents by late this year, a clinical psychologist said Thursday.
“What we are anticipating is that between 2 million to 3 million Washingtonians are going to be adversely affected from a behavioral health perspective by this pandemic, particularly in terms of symptoms of depression,” said Kira Mauseth, who has a doctorate in psychology and is a senior instructor at Seattle University.
Mauseth said she based her forecast on the percentages of Washington’s 7.5 million residents that receive behavioral health services and those who show symptoms of mental health and/or substance abuse but don’t receive services. That data is combined with what researchers learned about the aftermath of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) global outbreak that began in 2002 as well as the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, among other disasters.
Over the summer, more people will be “acting out” through aggression, substance use, or violence while others will be “acting in” — which is voluntary isolation or withdrawal from participating in activities, she said.
Mauseth said within three to six months, the state can expect the rate of depression among Washington residents to increase, with a higher risk of suicide related to economic concerns. Displaying a graph showing the different stages of how people react to disasters, she said Washington in October or November is expected to reach the “disillusionment” stage.
“It’s when people start to accept the fact that it’s not going to go back to the way it was. There will be a ‘new normal.’ It’s going to be all right, but it’s not going to be the same as it was. That’s a difficult sort of place of acceptance for people to go through,” she said.
Mauseth and Keri Waterland, a behavioral health and recovery official with the state Health Care Authority, spoke at a press briefing held by the state’s Joint Information Center Thursday. The center, based at Camp Murray, has fielded questions about the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked for tips on how to prepare for what could be a wave of mental health challenges across the state, Waterland said people are holding virtual meet-ups with friends, getting to know their neighbors through fliers exchanged in mail boxes, taking part in walking groups while social distancing, and tapping into online support groups if they have substance use problems.
Mauseth said people need to focus on how to increase their resiliency.
“Human beings are social animals and we will do better from a behavioral health perspective if we are connected to each other,” she said.
The Health Care Authority announced Thursday it will receive more than $4 million in federal funding to respond to increased behavioral health service needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That includes $2.2 million for a statewide program called “Washington Listens” that is designed to reach people who are affected by the stress of the outbreak. The funds will pay for a support line that people can call, as well as 120 counselors and team leaders.
The state also will receive a $2 million grant to increase substance use disorder and mental health treatment for individuals who do not have health care coverage or whose coverage does not adequately support their treatment needs.