As the pandemic drags into its eighth month, the mental health implications of it for millions of people are becoming more clear.
A June survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed more than 40% of adults in the U.S. reported things like anxiety, depression or thoughts of suicide. In September, the Boston University School of Public Health reported that COVID-19 has likely tripled depression rates in the country.
In the Phoenix area, mental health care providers like Ray Young are seeing the effects on the ground.
Young is a licensed professional counselor and integrated health site director at Terros Health, which provides everything from primary care to substance abuse treatment to crisis intervention across the state — mostly to patients enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, also known as AHCCCS. The Show spoke with Young about the rise in the demand for mental health care in the community.
