UWM psychologists u health visits in a pand
Contents Feature Stories Psych professors urge mental health care Milwaukee’s COVID-19 racial divide Prof explains how COVID affects the infertile Religious Studies conference moves online Psychologist urges leisure to de-stress Physics alum works export control Physics prof wins mentor award
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Federal guidelines overseeing the availability of mental health services online have been loosened to give providers more flexibility to offer counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually all mental health clinics now offer telehealth services through video or over the phone, said W. Hobart W. Hobart Davies Davies, professor and chair of the psychology department at UWM. It’s an important option for those seeking help at a time when most in-person counseling sessions cannot take place due to public health measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. “Services are just as available during this stressful time,” Davies said. A poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that about 36% of Americans say coronavirus is having a serious impact on their mental health, while 59% say the disease is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives. A nationwide Gallup poll conducted from March 21 to April 5 found that 60% of Americans experienced “significant” stress, up from 46% last year. About 59% of Americans suffered from significant worries, up from 38% in that same span. Pollsters said it was unprecedented increase in the number of anxious Americans, a statistic that generally shows little change over time. Some people are struggling with job loss. Many parents are juggling full-time jobs from home while overseeing their children’s education with schools shifting to online instruction. Social isolation has disrupted normal routines. “Therapy can be helpful across this range of challenges,” said Davies, whose research focuses on child and adolescent psychology. “It can help structure daily routines and negotiate relationship rules, or just provide an outlet from the emotional intensity” of the crisis.
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2 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
Typically, nearly 20% of Americans experience some type of mental illness each year. Of that group, less than half receive mental health care, said Shawn Cahill, an associate professor of psychology.
