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As the coronavirus pandemic spread, attention turned to how emergency departments and intensive care units would cope. But it is mental health workers who have faced the brunt of the pandemic here.
After the lockdowns, mental health workers say they have been inundated by a flood of children and teens in need of help.
At worst, a psychologist says the rush means that critically ill patients at risk of suicide wait up to six weeks for public health care.
The lockdown measures meant that many doctors enjoyed an unusually quiet winter, with illnesses such as the flu all but gone in some areas. But mental health workers faced the opposite, with some saying the conditions they are seeing are increasingly dire.
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The uncertainty caused by the global pandemic has hit children especially hard, says Sarah Watson, clinical director of Psyched, a specialized private practice for children and adolescents in Auckland.
She says the system, which already faced a well-documented staff shortage, is overwhelmed and faces one of its biggest challenges in a generation.
LAUREN YORK / unsplash
Children and adolescents take weeks to access public mental health care, says a psychologist. (File photo)
For example, a young woman she knows has been told that the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service will take six weeks to assess her. Another teenager, who says he was experiencing periods of psychosis, had to wait two weeks to be evaluated.
“That’s for someone who is currently suicidal on a daily basis,” says Watson.
DHBs are responsible for providing the most comprehensive care, for which private clinics have no resources.
Watson says those two patients are not anomalies. “There are so many people currently on the edge.”
That “extreme advantage” is destined to be the domain of hospitals, but she says private clinics are struggling to try to fill the gaps left by long waiting lists and a jump in mental illness.
“We have to hold on to [suicidal patients] until they’re ready to see them, which is really out of our reach as a private clinic. But it’s that, or we leave them. We cannot leave them, ”he says.
Grahame Cox / Stuff
The Auckland DHB says there was a flood of referrals after lockdown restrictions were lifted.
The three Auckland DHBs reject the suggestion that they face an unprecedented mental health demand, but accept that after the blockades there was an increase in demand.
A spokeswoman for ADHB says she can’t comment on the patient who reportedly had to wait six weeks, but says there was an increase in wait times after the closures ended.
“We understand how difficult Alert Levels 3 and 4 have been for individuals, particularly those with mental health care needs,” their statement says.
”The number of referrals decreased during Tier 3 and 4 periods and increased after lockdown restrictions were lifted, which had an impact on wait times.
“Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents have adopted new ways of working, such as telehealth, which has helped make services more accessible to people, as well as reducing waiting times.”
Spokesmen for Manukau and Waitematā counties DHB also say that this year there has been no more demand for mental health services for children and youth. However, Waitematā also reports an increase in demand after the lifting of restrictions.
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Dr. Sarah Watson is concerned about the long waits for children needing mental health care from DHBs.
Watson says the delay in DHBs means he knows patients who, despite referrals from psychologists, are being denied help.
Others are waiting dangerously long, she says.
“For one patient, their depression has turned into bipolar, what we used to call a ‘manic depressive episode.’ She had elements of psychosis, where she saw and heard things that were not there.
“When that happens very quickly, it is a worrying escalation and quite intensive psychiatric and psychological support is needed. Again, it took us weeks to get her into the public health system. It was quite shocking, but this is not because the staff is bad. It’s because they are overwhelmed. “
The president of the Federation of Directors, Perry Rush, is not surprised to hear the concerns of psychologists. He says the mental health of Kiwi children is a “national crisis” that the country has not addressed.
“Covid has compounded the problem, as the challenges young people face in the modern era are substantial. We have taken too long to respond to them, ”he says.
The Federation of Principals is calling for all elementary schools to have counselors in place, because Rush says children cannot wait for weeks when they are experiencing a crisis.
Monique Ford / Stuff
New Zealand Federation of Directors President Perry Rush says the country is facing a “national crisis” with children’s mental health.
Rush says she knows of elementary-age children who self-harm at school and has helped children who experience suicidal idealization. But he says kids facing serious problems like that are struggling to get help.
“That is not considered a serious enough problem. There are more serious mental health problems that come to the front of the queue. “
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Elementary school-age children are battling mental illness, which often means they attack, says Perry Rush.
How Covid-19 is Affecting Children’s Mental Well-Being
Watson says that Covid-19 is hitting teens and children around the age of eight the hardest.
For children between the ages of nine and 12, he says they are experiencing tremendous growth as they begin to realize how big the world is and to grapple with tough problems.
“For example, they learn that we die, and that means that we finish and that people do not continue living. Also, they learn that things can affect us, that they cannot control, and those things can have a very real effect, ”he explains.
Growing up during a global pandemic, dealing with everything else, and seeing an illness affect everyone’s life can be stressful. She says that more children in this age group have anxiety as a result of Covid-19.
Teens, he says, are suffering from depression at a higher rate and young people with pre-existing mental health problems find it more difficult to control their health during confinements.
Isolation is a major problem for young people, and feeling trapped inside doesn’t help.
She says parents can help by keeping children informed, with useful information, and by helping to develop their “detective thinking.”
“That’s thinking, using logic, and learning to use your rational mind to deal with anxieties,” he says.
Every child and adolescent will feel the effects of Covid-19 differently, she says – some need space and others will need more support.
WHERE TO GET HELP
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1737, do you need to talk? Call toll free or text 1737 to speak with a trained counselor.
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Kidsline 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
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Life line 0800 543 354
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Rural support trust 0800 787 254
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Samaritans 0800 726 666
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Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828865 (0508 SUPPORT)
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Youthline 0800376633, free text 234, email [email protected], or find online chat and other support options here.
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Anxiety New Zealand 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
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If it’s an emergency Click here to find the number for your local crisis assessment team.
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In a life-threatening situation, call 111.
