“How many cats do you have?” I ask. I’m sitting across from a new patient in his early 20s. She eagerly showed me pictures of multiple cats on her phone. “Four,” she answered. “We each brought one when we moved in together. They are our emotional support cats!”
This is supposed to be a sweet story about a group of friends who bond over their mutual love for animals. Instead, a young woman told me she would have to share a two-bedroom apartment with three strangers she met online. She’s young, she has health insurance, and she truly believes things will get better. Most people aren’t so lucky. The cost of living, housing prices, and labor shortages have left many of us poor, depressed, and unemployed.
In this era of rising costs and inflation, many of us are making difficult choices about what stays in our budget and what goes away. Luxuries and extras take a backseat and become the first thing you tackle when your budget gets tight. For many people, mental health care is a luxury.
In a recent survey conducted by Thriveworks, 25% of people looking to start treatment within the next year cited “cost” as the main barrier to starting treatment. This number rose to nearly 40% for Millennials and Gen Z. Of those seeking treatment, 13% cited lack of insurance as the biggest hurdle to receiving treatment.
In my work as a therapist, I have personally lost patients to this because they could no longer afford to see me, even if I lowered my rates significantly. Additionally, 13% said they were unable to find time to meet with a therapist. This is not surprising given the prevalence of “side hustles” to support our income.
Despite frequent reminders about the importance of mental health support, barriers to easy access remain. As a psychologist, I am troubled by these results. Patients usually delay treatment until their mental state becomes intolerable and they approach despair. Luckily, there are resources in the area for just such people, and they’re even popular among millennials.
Teletherapy has revolutionized the mental health industry by providing access to qualified professionals on demand. A simple online search reveals a variety of treatment options, from talk therapy to medication management, with in-person and online support options. We also have a database for finding therapists, and you can search based on cost, insurance coverage, and location.
If an individual is in crisis and needs immediate relief, they can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting the word “home” to 741741. These responders are trained to effectively de-escalate situations. For those seeking care specific to young members of the LGBTQ+ community, Zebra Youth offers individual and family therapy services and hosts peer groups for additional support. The organization is located in downtown Orlando and has had a huge impact on the PRIDE parade and the LGBTQ+ community.
The same Thriveworks study shows that 10% of people seeking therapy feel unable to find the right therapist. When your options are limited and your hopes are low, the process of finding the right person can feel impossible. To help fill this gap, the state of Florida recently allocated $5 million to create the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, which will help with the mental health professional shortage. This government allocated funding is a good step towards encouraging individuals to enter the mental health profession. With more therapists responding to their needs, we can create a wider support network for those seeking help.
Resources for people in crisis are essential, but we need to create an environment where seeking mental health support is easy and encouraged before a crisis occurs. Mental health care should be a priority at the individual, community and government levels. As we continue to break down the stigma around mental health, we need to apply the same wrecking ball mentality to the obstacles that prevent so many people from getting help.
Few people come into my therapy office happy, but when they leave, they feel better and have the peace of mind knowing they are on the road to recovery. When we ask for help, everyone has the right to have their burdens reduced, not added to. So when a client shows us a photo of her cat during a session, we can’t help but think about its cute, fluffy face rather than the efforts she’s made to provide essential mental health support. Masu.
Connally Barry is a Chartered Psychologist at Thriveworks in Maitland.
