The AP (3/25, Ritter) reports, “The pandemic is worrisome enough for most people. For those with anxiety disorders, it presents a special challenge, especially if they are not receiving treatment.” This is “the case for about two-thirds of people with anxiety disorders, says Dr. Bruce Schwartz, president of the American Psychiatric Association.” Schwartz said, “Those are the ones I’m worried about.” Some psychologists “say the have noticed an uptick in symptoms with the spread of the virus,” and “for some anxiety conditions, the recommendations from health officials can appear to feed the problem.”
Psychiatrists Transition To Virtual Appointments As Coronavirus Pandemic Takes Reported Toll On The Mental Health Of Many. MedPage Today (3/24, Hlavinka) reports “psychiatric appointments across the country have been going virtual as mental health professionals try to limit potential exposures by moving to home offices and keeping outpatient visits to a minimum,” and the APA has “put together resources for treating patients amidst the developing pandemic and policy changes.” Meanwhile, a recent poll suggests that the coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many people, so there could be a significant increase in demand for mental health services. Dr. Joshua Morganstein, chair of the APA’s Committee on the Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster, “stressed the importance of normalizing concerns and understandable fear surrounding the pandemic,” saying, “It’s important to avoid giving people the message that somehow there is something wrong with how they are feeling or it is somehow a medical diagnosis.”
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— “They already had an anxiety disorder. Now comes a pandemic, “Malcolm Ritter , AP, March 25, 2020