Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national not-​for-​profit philanthropic organization, revealed findings of its America's Mental Health COVID-​19 Pulse Study, which looked at the mental health of Americans during the pandemic. With more than 90% of the U.S. population under some form of stay-​at-​home order, the situation is beginning to impact the mental health of many Americans.

Many are Concerned With Both Their Physical and Mental Health

• 70% of Americans are concerned about their physical health, while 58% of Americans are concerned about their mental health because of social distancing.
• 80% of Americans worry that people who need mental health services won't be able to get help.
• Two-​thirds (64%) report feeling anxious; half cite feeling lonely or isolated (49%) and having trouble sleeping (46%) as a result of the pandemic.
• Eight in ten (81%) think the pandemic will have a negative impact on the mental health of Americans.
• Nine in ten (88%) think it is more important for Americans to have access to mental health care as a result of the pandemic.
• 57% of those who either personally or had an immediate family member access mental health care during the pandemic said it was difficult to access mental health care.
• Nearly one in six (14%) say that a member of their immediate family has accessed mental health care services during the pandemic.

"We are beginning to see a significant impact on the mental health of everyday Americans as a result of the pandemic," said Cohen Veterans Network President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony Hassan. "Before the pandemic, there was already a mental health crisis in America, with high demand and relatively limited resources, the pandemic appears to be making it worse. And we know isolation can have negative consequences in terms of anxiety, depression, and suicidality."

Additional Findings

• Seven in ten (71%) agree that the availability of telehealth mental health care services would make them more likely to seek mental health care if they felt they needed it.
• Approximately nine in ten recognize that anyone can have a mental health issue (92%), that people shouldn't feel embarrassed about seeking mental health services (90%), that they would not view someone differently if they were told they have a mental health issue (86%), and that people with mental health issues can live normal lives (86%).

Access to Care Challenges

• 57% of those who either personally or had an immediate family member access mental health care during the pandemic said it was difficult to access mental health care during the pandemic.

"The pandemic marks a tipping point for telehealth as a solution. Shown to be equally as effective as in-​person therapy, CVN Telehealth sessions provide the same high-​quality, confidential care," said Hassan.

Americans must know that mental health providers are available and offer solutions that work, and that the providers can be trusted to meet their mental health needs, according to Hassan.

Mental health professionals can promote their telehealth services on the very medium potential patients will seek help: online. According to AudienceSCAN, last month, 60.2% of Psychologist/​Counseling Patients used the internet to research health or medical information and 23.5% looked up a businessperson's reputation online.

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. In addition, AdMall contains industry profiles on mental health professionals and specialty hospitals, as well as lead lists at the local level. Media companies, sales reps and agencies can access this data with a subscription to AdMall from SalesFuel.