(Des Moines) Governor Kim Reynolds said while the COVID-19 virus is a threat to our physical health, living with its uncertainty over several months can also affect our mental health.
At her press conference this morning, Reynolds said the Iowa Department of Public Health reports that between March and September of this year 319 Iowans died of suicide, a rate slightly higher than the two previous years. She said anecdotal information suggests that people are waiting longer than usual to seek help and are often already in crisis mode by the time that they do.
“In a national tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted in mid-July, 53-percent of U.S. adults reported that their mental health was negatively impacted due to worry and stress about the virus. More than one in three adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic. But, adults aren’t the only ones suffering. Studies also show that existing mental illness among adolescence may be worse because of the pandemic and with school closures. They do not have the same access to the key mental health services,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds said it is important that Iowans understand the signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and what to do when they recognize them in themselves or someone that they know. She said now more than ever before additional resources are available to help, including COVID Recovery Iowa, which offers free virtual counseling and assistance for all Iowans.
Karen Hyatt, Emergency Mental Health Specialist with the Iowa Department of Human Resources, said, “If a person needs support of any kind really, there is no screening for this. We have three different hotline numbers that a person can all. On our website, which is covidrecoveryiowa.org, there is a form that people can fill out and say what they are interested in. Maybe they just need help with parenting ideas, or children activities, or they’re looking for ways to interact with older adults. They can check what they’re interested in, that comes to us and then we connect that individual with a COVID Recovery Iowa counselor.”
Hyatt said they are seeing that everyone is stressed beyond what they normally are as nothing is easy anymore.
“There is no shame in asking for help, I think that’s the main message,” said Hyatt. “Everyone listening to this probably has some extra anxiety and we want to make it simple for you to get the help that you need.”
