END OF THE COVID TUNNEL WITH
GROWING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE BEING
VACCINATED, BUT OVER THE COURSE
OF THE PANDEMIC THE MENTAL
HEALTH OF PEOPLE HAS
DETERIORATED DUE TO LOSS OF
FAMILY, FRIENDS, JOB LOSS,
ISOLATION AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL
ABUSE AND YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THE
18 TO 24 AGE GROUP HAVE BEEN
ESPECIALLY HIT AS HAVE
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
FOR EXAMPLE, COMPARED TO WHITE
RESIDENTS, BLACK RESIDENTS HAVE
TWO TIMES THE HOSPITALIZATIONS
RELATED TO COVID.
OUR NEXT GUEST IS THE DIRECTOR
OF OUTPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMS
AT THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION, KEN
GINLACK.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO, THE SHARE OF ADULTS
REPORTING SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
AND DEPRESSION HAS JUMPED FROM
11% BEFORE THE PANDEMIC TO 41%
NOW ACCORDING TO THE KAISER
FAMILY FOUNDATION.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN
YOUR PRACTICE?
>> YES.
THERE HAS BEEN A HIGH NUMBER OF
INDIVIDUALS COMING IN SINCE THE
PANDEMIC AND, YOU KNOW, THE
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AS WELL
AS ANXIETY HAS THE HIGHEST
NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN.
ALSO, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE
STRESS OF THE PANDEMIC, THE
PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
HAVE BEEN HIT THE HARDEST AS FAR
AS WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS THE
NUMBERS COMING IN.
>> YEAH.
>> FOR SERVICES.
>> SO WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST
DRIVERS OF THIS ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION?
>> WELL, JOB LOSS, YOU KNOW,
WORRIES, STRESS OVER PAYING THE
BILLS, INTERRUPTING THE ROUTINE,
THE DAILY ROUTINE, THE HIGH
NUMBER OF -- THE ISOLATION AS
WELL, WHICH WOULD CAUSE
DEPRESSION, AND NOT HAVING THAT
CONNECTION WITH FAMILY.
>> SO YOUNG ADULTS SHOW
SYMPTOMS, ACCORDING AGAIN TO
KAISER, AT 56%.
WHY IS IT AFFECTING THAT AGE
GROUP MORE SO?
>> IN YOUNG ADULTS, PARTICULARLY
ADOLESCENTS, THEY USUALLY ARE
GETTING SERVICES THROUGH SCHOOL
OR, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO HAVE
ACCESS TO SOCIAL WORKERS AND
THAT TYPE OF THING AT SCHOOL.
AND ALSO, WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE AND TALK WITH THEIR
FRIENDS, SO THE SOCIALIZATION,
THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY DUE TO
THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO AS UNIVERSITIES CLOSE AS
WELL, THAT AGE GROUP IS
SUFFERING FROM THE LACK OF
SOCIALIZATION AS WELL.
>> IN FACT, THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE SITS AT 26%
COMPARED TO ALL ADULTS AT 11%.
HOW FRIGHTENING ARE THOSE
NUMBERS TO YOU?
>> OH, THEY'RE VERY FRIGHTENING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN FACT, IN
MILWAUKEE THERE WERE 131
SUICIDES IN 2020.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HIGH
NUMBER.
ACTUALLY, IT WAS 131 VERSUS, YOU
KNOW, -- I'M SORRY.
IT WAS 216 SUICIDES VERSUS 131
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
>> TRAGIC, REALLY TANGIBLE
EVIDENCE OF THE
ANXIETY/DEPRESSION.
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AS WE'VE
SAID, HAVE BEEN
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY
THE PANDEMIC AND LIKEWISE
ACCORDING TO DATA HAVE BEEN MORE
LIKELY THAN WHITE ADULTS TO
SUFFER MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS.
IS THERE ENOUGH SUPPORT AND
ACCESS TO TREATMENT AVAILABLE?
>> WELL, THERE HAS BEEN A LACK
OF THERAPISTS PRIOR TO THE
PANDEMIC AND ESPECIALLY
THERAPISTS OF COLOR, RIGHT?
AND SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S STILL A
BIG CHALLENGE AS FAR AS HAVING
WAITING LISTS AND ACTUALLY
HAVING ACCESS TO THOSE SERVICES.
WHEN YOU THROW THE PANDEMIC IN,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO, YOU
KNOW, LACK OF TRANSPORTATION TO
GET TO PROVIDERS, UNINSURED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN DOING
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKE
SERVICES ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE
IN THE COMMUNITY.
SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE
OF, WE ACTUALLY HAVE STARTED TO
OPEN CLINICS WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY TO LESSEN SOME OF
THOSE BARRIERS OF TRYING -- YOU
KNOW, FOR PEOPLE IN THE
COMMUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO
SERVICES.
>> WELL, THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
OTHER THAN THAT KIND OF ACCESS,
TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES,
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO TO TRY TO
HELP THEMSELVES OR THEIR LOVED
ONES IF THEY SEEF SEE THESE KINDS OF
THINGS LIKE ANXIETY OR
DEPRESSION?
>> REACH OUT.
YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THING I
CAN SAY IS REACH OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THAT
FAMILY MEMBER.
JUST GIVE THEM A CALL.
JUST TO SAY HELLO.
DO WELLNESS CHECKS.
YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE
OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU
KNOW.
ALSO, THOSE THAT SUFFERING
ALONE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ACTUAL
VIRTUAL GROUPS THAT THEY CAN
ACTUALLY ATTEND.
AND JUST TALK TO SOMEONE.
ALSO CALLING THE CRISIS HOTLINE.
SO THERE'S VARIOUS THINGS THAT
THEY CAN TRY TO DO TO CONTINUE
TO COMMUNICATE AND RELEASE SOME
OF THAT PRESSURE OF BEING ALONE.
>> YEAH.
WE SHOULD ALL KEEP OUR EYES
OPEN.
KEN GINLACK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
AND THANKS FOR YOUR