Can you guys help me out here? I'm trying to remember what might have happened over the past four or five years that would've brought on a 40% increase in mental health diagnoses.
Seriously, I'm stumped.
Oh yeah, now I remember: We shut down the entire world for a flu bug, told everyone they were going to die if they didn't follow the rules, made everyone wear masks even though they didn't work, stoked up racial anger, burned down cities, had the fairest election ever, threw a bunch of political opponents in jail, censored anyone who thought differently about anything, transed the kids while telling them to take the American flags off their trucks, fired scores of people for being too white or too conservative, told everyone we needed to increase grocery prices another 25% for the sake of Ukraine, let every terrorist and murderer from every country in the world pour over our border, and stopped going to church or talking with our neighbors.
Yeah, that might have done it. That might have made us crazy.
Here's Axios:
The share of patients with mental health diagnoses rose 40% nationally from 2019 to 2023, with the most significant jump among seniors, according to a FAIR Health analysis shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: While the data reflects the anxiety and stress of the pandemic era, it could also point to reduced stigma in seeking care and increased access via telehealth.
By the numbers: Mental health diagnoses rose across all age groups, according to the data from FAIR Health, which used a database of roughly 46 billion commercial insurance claims — including Medicare Advantage — to examine in-network claims between 2019 and 2023.
- The largest increase (57%) was among those aged 65 and over. About 14% had a mental health diagnosis in 2023, up from 9% in 2019.
- The second largest increases (about 44%) were among patients ages 23-40.
- The share of patients ages 23-30 with a mental health diagnosis increased from 19% to 28%, while it increased from 18% to 25% for those 31-40.
- Generalized anxiety disorder was the most common mental health diagnoses in 2023
Now, I do agree with Axios here in that more people have access to mental health professionals these days with the telehealth programs that Covid brought onto the scene.
Who said Covid didn't do some great things for us?!?
But a 40% increase? I don't think the number of telehealth patients even scratches the surface there.
We were purposefully placed in a state of shock when the pandemic hit, and the more time that goes by, the more obvious it becomes. Everything out there, from the Ukraine war to the Trump indictments to weather is framed to make people more afraid and more willing to give up their freedoms.
I sure hope this mental health crisis can be reversed.
Though with Trump marching his way back to the White House, Trump Derangement Syndrome is about to get worse!!
After all, if Pew Research is right, about 90% of this 40% increase is probably coming from that side of the aisle! 👇
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
