ROANOKE, Va. – The number of people needing mental health help has increased here in Roanoke, according to doctors with the Carilion Clinic.
“Every year, year over year, keeps going up. The pandemic accelerated it. So, the needs continue to increase,” said Dr. Robert Trestman, who is the chair of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Carilion Clinic.
When it comes to the elderly, Trestman said the Carilion Clinic has seen an increase in the number of people who experience mental health issues in Roanoke. He said about a thousand older adults are on the waiting list for mental health issues at Carilion.
“One of the biggest challenges for the elderly is loneliness, and it’s easy for us to ignore that, but it is a profound human experience, and loneliness leads to serious morbidity to depression to anxiety, and as we’re living longer, more and more of us are experiencing a shrunken social group, inability to get around, and with that comes a real sense of being isolated, alone and ultimately being desperate,” said Trestman.
Doctors have also seen about 200 to 250 kids and teenagers who are on the waiting list for outpatient care at Carilion. Trestman said a lot of these issues are school-related such as bullying and peer pressure.
“There is a profound increase, like tripling the numbers of kids in middle school having suicidal thoughts,” said Trestman.
He thinks a lot of it has to do with the number of hours they’re on social media.
“Not necessarily playing games, not necessarily just being online, but social media can have a profound negative impact,” said Trestman.
He encourages parents to limit social media and monitor their accounts. This can mean putting parental controls on the number of hours they’re online or reviewing the account with them. He said it’s important to listen to your kids, too.
“Parents need to make sure they create a space where their kids can talk to them. And the parents need to feel comfortable saying, ‘I can listen. What’s wrong? You’ve done nothing wrong. And it’s my job as a parent, to make sure you’re safe,’” said Trestman.
While there’s an uptick in people needing help, they say it can be difficult to get an appointment. Trestman said appointments can be anywhere from six weeks to two months depending on the level of emergency.
“And that’s enormously frustrating for us all, for many, many, many reasons. There aren’t enough of us to provide the care that’s needed. So, we are trying to work to leverage that,” said Trestman.
There’s also an uptick in the number of people who call Carilion’s Connect line at 540-981-8181. The Connect line is a confidential 24/7 phone number that provides home evaluations and referrals. It’s seen about 6,000 calls each month from people needing help.
Doctors said if you have difficulty getting an appointment, there are several free resources for you. One of those free resources is the Carilion Community Health and Outreach. The Carilion Community Health and Outreach offers free classes and workshops focusing on mental health.
If you or someone you know needs help, there’s also the National Crisis Lifeline at 988.