“I keep hearing ‘If I only knew when this would end,'” Alexandra Lash, a clinical psychologist who practices in Portland, said.
Mental health providers in Maine say their clients are reporting new stresses, heightened anxiety and worsened depression. Their field has made a dramatic shift to telehealth, which could expand access to care in the future but right now is causing gaps for some. The Opportunity Alliance reported that the state’s crisis line got 250 to 300 daily calls last week, which is consistent with usual volume, but experts are worried about an increased risk for self-harm or suicide. New programs are aimed at connecting people with professional support, maybe for the first time.
Health care workers are a special concern. And even the therapists themselves are not immune to the pressures facing clients who come to them for help.
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