3 times as many Virginians have serious mental health issues than before coronavirus, EVMS study indicates

There are three times as many Virginians experiencing serious mental health issues now than there were before the pandemic, according to preliminary results from a new study.

Almost two months ago, researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School began collaborating on a digital health project, known as COVIDsmart, to study the effect of COVID-19 on daily lives — not just for people who have been infected by the virus.

Among the 450 people statewide who participated in the COVIDsmart study in March, nearly one in four reported signs and symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety or moderate to severe depression. Over 22% said they were having moderate to severe anxiety, and 24% reported moderate to severe depression.

The rates are triple those in 2019, prior to the public health crisis, when just 6.1% of U.S. adults said they had moderate to severe anxiety and 7% reported moderate to severe depression, said Sunita Dodani, director of the EVMS-Sentara Healthcare Analytics and Delivery Science Institute.

“We were expecting there would be an increase with mental health issues, but to this extent? It was shocking,” she said.

The findings coincide with what social workers and therapists have predicted for many months. Lockdown restrictions, job changes, isolation and the lives lost to the coronavirus have taken a toll on people’s psychological health.

A recent study by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association found a rise last year in Virginians admitted for alcohol and drug-related illnesses, which included mental illnesses brought on by substance use. It was the only major diagnostic category that climbed in 2020 that wasn’t directly and medically related to the coronavirus, according to the association. The thinking is that people are more disposed to addictions as they try to self-medicate or cope with depression, anxiety and other psychological effects of the public health crisis.

About 575 people have participated in the EVMS study so far, with the vast majority being women between the ages of 35 and 60. COVIDsmart, cosponsored by George Mason University and tech company Vibrent Health, is seeking more, diverse participants, with the goal of receiving at least 2,000 completed surveys by the end of next month.

The only requirements are that participants be 18 or older and live in Virginia, said Dodani, who is the principal investigator of the study. The project leaders have translated the questions into Spanish so that English isn’t necessary to participate.

The project involves a series of online surveys with some 200 pandemic-related questions.

For example:

Over the past 30 days, has your consumption of alcohol increased, decreased or remained the same?

How likely are you to want to receive COVID-19 vaccination?

The goal is to learn how the public health crisis has influenced people’s lives, including their financial, mental and physical well-being.

The mental health component is just the tip of the iceberg, Dodani said. The study, which is broken into three phases, covers other health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

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There could be a relationship between how people experience those conditions and the pandemic, too. The increased amounts of stress, decreased social interactions and the reduction of in-person visits with doctors could all contribute to diseases.

“When you put the whole city in a lockdown, when you keep social and physical distancing — particularly I’m talking about this high-risk population with comorbidities, with health issues — they are the ones who have suffered the most,” she said.

The COVIDsmart scientists say people can help minimize the impacts of future pandemics by contributing to this research. They intend to use the survey results to help develop recommendations for health policy leaders.

Unlike some other coronavirus studies, COVIDsmart will provide participants with anonymous study results so they can see how the pandemic has affected their community.

It also will connect respondents with resources. Dodani said they are seeking more funding to provide the participants reporting moderate to severe anxiety and depression with telehealth services for mental health.

To learn more about COVIDsmart, go to www.covidsmartstudy.org.

Elisha Sauers, 757-839-4754, elisha.sauers@pilotonline.com