The number of Northern Virginians dealing with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues is higher than before the pandemic.
That is one of the findings from a report called “Finding our Way Back to Mental Health” by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Center for Community Research.
The survey focused on the region’s mental health picture, and researchers found that nearly half of adults with mental health needs in Northern Virginia are running into barriers getting mental health services.
“In total, whilst 750,000 adults in Northern Virginia have mental health needs, 370,000 who want therapy or counseling are unable to get it,” researchers wrote.
The group also discovered a fourfold increase in the number of people dealing with “active symptoms” of anxiety or depression.
Researchers found that 28% of adults in Northern Virginia report “active mental health symptoms.”
Back in 2019, that number was 8%.
Researchers saw four prominent barriers to get mental health help for most adults: asking for help, finding a provider, managing costs and logistics, and seeing results.
