It’s common knowledge that 2020 was one of the most difficult years on record for most Americans as well as the citizens of the world. The mental health of workers around the globe has plummeted due mainly to the spread of Covid-19, remote working and a whole new way of living that requires social distancing.
A new SWNS research study, conducted by
Onepoll on behalf of
Vida Health, found that more than one out of every six Americans started therapy for the first time in 2020. The study, surveying 2,000 adults in the United States, also reported that 31% either continued or returned to therapy in the last year, 15% are taking some type of medication for their mental health for the first time, and another 15% changed or increased an existing prescription during that same time frame. After the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the Capitol, the numbers of Americans showing symptoms of post traumatic stress rose. And the lurking dangers and turmoil in this country have led many workers to say, “Stay safe” to colleagues, instead of “Goodbye” or “See you soon.”
Are You Weak If You Seek Therapy?
Perhaps the most startling finding of all in the Onepoll survey was that nearly half (47%) of the respondents believe seeking therapy is a sign of weakness, yet only a quarter (27%) have never been to a therapist in their lifetime, which suggests that mental health care has become a more common experience for many Americans than previously assumed. The 30% who aren’t in therapy said it’s because they don’t think their problems are “big enough,” and 32% said they can “handle their problems on their own.” As one respondent remarked, “My depression is a direct result of the pandemic, not an ongoing condition.” Despite this trend, 88% said they’ve experienced at least one of the symptoms that professionals use to assess depression: “little interest or pleasure in doing things” (52%), “having trouble falling or staying a sleep” (52%) and “feeling down, depressed or hopeless” (51%).
)
