Counseling centers across the northern and western suburbs witnessed significant increases in requests for help—with substance abuse addictions, anxiety, depression and other ills— during the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health providers say. Some saw increases of as much as 100 percent and had to institute waitlists.
Richard Lyon, director of MaineStay Youth & Family Services of Maine Township, said his agency experienced the largest increase in demand, 29 percent, in his 46 years in mental health services.
“We’re not alone in that,” Lyon said. “That basically happened everywhere.”
Darren Brown, director of family services for the village of Niles, and Sue Warwik, director of community mental health services of AMITA Health, said they also saw dramatic increases in requests for services.
AMITA, which receives funding from the Oak Park Township Community Mental Health Board, doubled its requests for counseling services during the pandemic, Warwik said.
In particular, the Strengthening Families Program for Oak Park saw a very large increase, she said.
“In this 11-week program that we normally do in person, we had a lot of new referrals, even a waitlist, and consistent participation during the program that was offered during the pandemic virtually,” Warwik said. “With the program being virtual we were able to remove barriers that otherwise would have reduced the number of participants, such as transportation and childcare.”
Pandemic worsened old, new problems
Lyon said requests for counseling increased because the pandemic exacerbated problems many people were already experiencing and caused new problems for others.
“Folks who already struggled just experienced an increase in those concerns, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and financial pressures,” he said. “Anxiety and depression skyrocketed. Other folks who had not struggled started to experience them for the first time. It was a combination of new issues cropping up and existing issues getting worse.”
One mental health provider said that for some people who asked about getting help, the perceived stigma of accepting mental health services still prevented them from following through and getting treatment.
“We’ve seen an increase in interest, but it doesn’t always translate into treatment,” said Bruce Sewick, CEO of Leyden Family Service and Mental Health Center. “We feel as (the state) opens up and people come out and do things, we will get a rush on business.”
Leyden: Overcoming barriers
The Leyden center and other mental health agencies experienced increases in requests for help of up to 100 percent, but some of those people didn’t surmount the stigma and other hurdles to getting treatment.
To address this issue, Leyden got a state grant to open a Living Room at the center, 10001 Grand Ave. in Franklin Park, on June 25, Sewick said. The state-wide Living Room program allows a person contemplating treatment to come in and talk to staff or other clients who have already received treatment, Sewick said.
“You can go there and it’s not like, ‘What’s your insurance, name and date of birth.’ You can walk in without an appointment,” he said. “From my point of view, I get many calls asking, ‘Can my employer get my files?’ I explain, ‘No.’ The Living Room requires no insurance and no charge. You can talk to someone who had problems and can help direct you to get help.”
The Leyden center experienced a 25% drop in calls when the pandemic first hit, but then a “huge increase” in calls since, Sewick said. “Quantifying it is hard,” he said.
The isolation the pandemic forced on society affected people of all ages, especially seniors and school children, Sewick said.
Addictions, isolation
“In the confines of no social context, it can be very upsetting,” he said. “Watching the news alone is tough when the news is not good.”
Society experienced increases in alcohol and marijuana consumption and dramatic spikes in drug overdoses, Sewick said.
“Did people go too far and end up taking too much?” he said. “These are things we will find out as society opens up.”
Adolescents were particularly affected by the social isolation and financial and other pressures on their parents, Lyon said.
“Socialization is such an important part of adolescence,” he said. “Being socially isolated from peers and not having social contact in school took its toll. They saw their parents struggle. When they see that, it just has a trickle-down effect on kids. They absorb a lot of stress in the family. Plus, many people lost loved ones.”
A recent New York University study showed that 29 percent of adults increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic, said April Hope, a spokeswoman for Brightside Recovery, which operates a facility in Northbrook. For people under 40, that increase reached 40 percent, Hope said.
“When the world came to a sudden halt in March 2020, employees were suddenly faced with not only the threat of an unknown virus and an overwhelming workload, but also for some the added pressure of supporting their children’s education at home,” she said. “Undoubtedly, anxiety, stress and depression soared, leaving many turning to drugs and alcohol.”
