While a recession has been bad for health products and services in general, it’s been a boon for mental health industry.
Data comes from a survey of 3,307 adults surveyed once in January and again in April 2009. The survey found that people actually spending and using various health services and products — primarily the use of prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, physician services, dental services, and health/personal care goods — fell during that time period.
During the same time period, demand for psychiatric and mental health services nearly doubled — from 4 percent in January to 7 percent in April. Job loss, loss of your home, and lack of discretionary income likely drives more people to seek out help for feeling depressed, anxious or other emotional upset about the effects of the economic woes.
I think this trend is both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate in that many people recognize the troubles in their lives and are seeking services to help with them, even as their own budgets are constrained. This is, I think, far different than one might have found during the 1930s and the Great Depression. But this trend is also unfortunate insomuch that so many people are suffering in this economy and need such services.
I wish the survey had measured use of online health and mental health resources, self-help resources, interactive programs, social networking websites, and support groups. It would be interesting to see if the recession also affects use of such resources, all of which tend to be free and readily available.
Read the full article at Health Populi: Demand for health products and services is down in the recession; thinking about value and self-care in health
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Anonymous (5/14/2009)
6 Comments to
“Recession? Mental Health Use Has Doubled”
great article as always, t
As someone who sees this process playing out in both community mental health and private practice settings, whether the patient has insurance or not, neither option pursues what is needed most: therapy, investment in change, and readjustments in choices.
People need to make hard, tough choices, and not look for easy, quick outs/solutions. Pills do not give you skills, or, as I heard on a “Numbers” episode last year, “If you want to get better, take a pill, but, if you want to get it right, face the truth.”
Adages can be so powerful if they resonate and can give faith and hope.
Just an opinion.
It’s amazing how many people need help with mental help during recession.
Our New Zealand child helpline, 0800WHATSUP (www.whatsup.co.nz), has experienced a 5% increase in demand so far this year compared with the same period in 2008 (annual demand levels are fairly stable, so this is not part of a long-term trend). Children and young people are not immune to the stresses caused by the financial situation but their needs are easily overlooked by adults, preoccupied with their own troubles and perhaps wishfully thiking that they are “protecting” the children from it all. It is great that kids have resources like child helplines to turn to when their parents are for whatever reason not in the best position to provide them with the support they need.
Our New Zealand child helpline, 0800WHATSUP (www.whatsup.co.nz), has experienced a 5% increase in demand so far this year compared with the same period in 2008 (annual demand levels are fairly stable, so this is not part of a long-term trend). Children and young people are not immune to the stresses caused by the financial situation but their needs are easily overlooked by adults, preoccupied with their own troubles and perhaps wishfully thiking that they are “protecting” the children from it all. It is great that kids have resources like child helplines to turn to when their parents are for whatever reason not in the best position to provide them with the support they need.
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi
whenever something increases that way its an indication that something else is going wrong, thanks for the info
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 13 May 2009
