Ideas to reduce the mental health crisis in the U.S. 

Houston Methodist Hospital doing their best to fight mental health crisis

According to the CDC, 40% of Americans are struggling with mental health during COVID-19. The Houston Methodist Hospital wants to do something about it.

HOUSTON - A startling new report shows a growing mental health crisis in America. Houston Methodist Hospital is seeing a surge in psychiatric cases. Doctors there want to make sure everyone knows that help is available.

Many Americans are going through a tough time right now. Some are financially strained, while others feel trapped in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

       The Centers for Disease Control just released a survey to reveal the serious situation. 40% of Americans are experiencing a mental health symptom. "It really shows that there are stronger impacts of that when you look at the young population and for people that are essential workers, unpaid caregivers, and minorities, and so I think the really alarming thing was just the sheer number of people - 40% percent, as well as looking at things like suicide.

It looks like 1 in 10 had really seriously thought about suicide in the month prior to the survey and that 1 in 10 had either taken up or increased their use of substances, in order to cope with the stress of the pandemic," states Dr. Corinna Keenmon, Medical Director of Psychiatry at Houston Methodist Hospital. 

So why the uptick in mental stress? For one, the unpredictability of the pandemic has impacted almost everyone's routine. "I think the first step, that's helpful for a lot of people that are in any level of distress is first reestablish a good healthy routine, wake up at the same time every day, schedule your chores, your meals, so that sort of those anchors during the day and then your bedtime, and try to keep that steady, so that your day is as predictable as it can be, and you sort of reserve your extra energy for all the unpredictable things that might come up," suggests Dr. Keenmon. 

       The second thing Dr. Keenmon suggests is making sure to exercise with deep relaxation to help treat mood and anxiety, which can serve as a coping technique, instead of turning to alcohol or drugs for comfort. "That could be as simple as taking a walk if you're already active, doing some kind of online fitness class at home, and there's a lot of free ones you can get on YouTube. Deep relaxation simply means taking 10 deep breaths. Using a free app like Headspaces 10 free mindfulness classes or doing some kind of yoga," explains Dr. Keenmon.

       For more severe distress, she encourages you to reach out to a medical provider. "Now that could be through your primary care doctor. We've gotten great tele-psych opportunities now. A lot of providers have gone to virtual visits, so that has really helped expand the availability of mental health services, and even online mental health support groups," says Dr. Keenmon. Since the survey also shows that thoughts of suicide are up right now, Dr. Keenmon wants you to know about powerful resources to help prevent it. "There's a great website called BeThe1To or #BeThe1To. It has five simple steps for how to engage a loved one or friend in a conversation about depression and suicide and how to help them get to care safely. There are crisis text lines people can reach out to, so you can just text 'hello' to 741741 in a crisis, to get help and support. And then there's a national Suicide Lifeline phone number, which is 1-800-273-8255. If you're feeling desperate, you can also call 911 and let them know it's a mental health crisis or head to the nearest emergency room," states Dr. Keenmon.