Statewide Iowa — As we move through the tenth month of dealing with COVID-19, an increasing number of Iowans are seeking mental health services.
Dr. CJ Davis, a behavioral health specialist, says the demand for these services has climbed by as much as 30% this year.
(As said) Davis says, “Any time that you’ve seen any sort of pandemic and even epidemics at times, the mental health symptoms, the mental health of our society generally struggles with depression, anxiety and almost trauma-like symptoms for sometimes one to three years post-pandemic.”
He doesn’t expect the need to change anytime soon, either.
(As said) “Everybody is experiencing some sort of just low-level anxiety right now,” he says. “In fact, when you ask Americans about their mental health, about 50-percent of us have a concern about one mental health symptom or another.”
He says depression and anxiety are the most common pandemic-related symptoms.
