EVP/CEO LETTER
MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS MONTH
Jon R. Roth, MS, CAE
In an era seemingly far before its time,
in 1949, Mental Health America designated
May as National Mental Health
month. The purpose of this designated
month is to educate and raise public
awareness for the 18% of Americans (approximately
40 million people) who suff er from
mental health concerns. According
to the Anxiety and Depression Association
of America, anxiety disorders
are the most common mental illness
in the U.S., with only 36.9% of those
suff ering receiving treatment. People
with an anxiety disorder are three
to fi ve times more likely to go to the
doctor and six times more likely to be
hospitalized for psychiatric disorders
than those who do not suff er from
anxiety disorders1.
As the world emerges from the
COVID-19 pandemic, we expect the
number of individuals suff ering from
anxiety and depression disorders
to increase. According to the Mayo
Clinic, “Surveys show a major increase in the
number of U.S. adults who report symptoms
of stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia
during the pandemic, compared with surveys
before the pandemic. Some people have
increased their use of alcohol or drugs, thinking
that these can help them cope with their
fears about the pandemic. In reality, using
these substances can worsen anxiety and
depression.”2
Likewise, for many physicians, COVID-19
has been particularly diffi cult, as they were
tasked with managing their own health and
safety and the health of their patients, as
well as protecting their families from the
virus. These extraordinary circumstances
created additional pressures and resulted in
a marked increase in the number of mental
health and substance use visits among
physicians. A January 2022 study reported
in JAMA Network Open3 evaluated the “association
between the COVID-19 pandemic
and changes in outpatient health care visits
by physicians related to mental health and
substance use and explored diff erences
across physician subgroups of interest.” In
a survey of over 34,000 practicing physicians,
the number of visits was found to have
increased by 27%. The proportion of physicians
with one or more mental health and
substance use visits within a year increased
from 12.3% to 13.4% during the pandemic. As
may be expected, the relative increase was
signifi cantly greater in physicians without a
prior mental health and substance use history
than in physicians with a prior mental
health and substance use history.
The meta-concern is that even prior to
the arrival of COVID-19, a high number of
physicians considered leaving the profession.
In a bold commentary in the Annals of
Emergency Medicine4, authors Dean, Jacobs
and Manfredi paint a sobering picture of
the fragile nature of the physician workforce
Refrences:
1. https:/adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics
2. https:/www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/mental-health-covid-19/art-
20482731#:~:text=During%20the%20COVID%2D19,depression%2C%20can%20worsen.
3. Myran DT, Cantor N, Rhodes E, et al. Physician Health Care Visits for Mental Health and Substance Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic
in Ontario, Canada. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1):e2143160. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.43160
May 2022 • DALLAS MEDICAL JOURNAL | 7
4. https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.05.023
now emerging from the pandemic “war” with
all the attendant grief, trauma, and sense
of guilt. They encourage health systems,
both large and small, to avoid the pitfall of
“returning to normal” now that the pandemic
has subsided. Rather, they encourage
practices and health systems to put systems
into place that allow for the emotional
processing of all that has occurred.
While healthy norms and routines can
be helpful to one’s mental wellness,
simply sweeping all the diffi cult and
ugly aspects of the pandemic under
the proverbial rug will only lead to silent
suff ering.
As we look forward to brighter days
now that the acute COVID-19 crisis
has passed, I support the authors’
recommendations to, “put into place
robust plans …: true crisis teams that
can respond to immediate needs; an
ongoing, structured psychological
crisis response; expanded employee
assistance programs to anticipate
increased need; memoranda of understanding
with local organizations to accept
overfl ow or ongoing care; and expanded
support programs besides talking sessions,
in which teams or individuals can come
together to process their experiences diff erently.”
With these examples of wrap-around
support systems in place, we can provide the
mental health resources that our physicians
greatly need and deserve.
If you or someone you know is suff ering,
please call the National Alliance on Mental
Illness helpline at 800-950-NAMI, or if you are
in crisis, text “NAMI” to 741-741. You can also
reach out to the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, which provides a free and confi -
dential support line for people in distress, as
well as crisis and prevention resources. Call
1-800-273-TALK (8255) anytime (24/7). DMJ