Increased stress, isolation and burnout among patients and clinicians amid the pandemic shed light on a widespread lack of mental health resources. Many hospitals and health systems quickly pivoted their mental health strategies to meet this growing need.

Becker's interviewed healthcare leaders across the country about what their organization is doing in response to current mental health trends.

Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for brevity.

Question: What mental healthcare trends is your hospital seeing? How has demand changed since the pandemic started?

Ben Weinstein, MD. Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Houston Methodist: We have seen significant fluctuations in the demand for emergency psychiatric services. During COVID-19 surges, people stayed away from the emergency departments and then flooded the EDs when the COVID-19 peak subsided. Just like in general healthcare, the delay in mental healthcare results in an increase in acuity. Patients are more ill and more desperate. Everyone in the community is impacted, especially healthcare workers.

Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for brevity.

Question: What mental healthcare trends is your hospital seeing? How has demand changed since the pandemic started?

Ben Weinstein, MD. Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Houston Methodist: We have seen significant fluctuations in the demand for emergency psychiatric services. During COVID-19 surges, people stayed away from the emergency departments and then flooded the EDs when the COVID-19 peak subsided. Just like in general healthcare, the delay in mental healthcare results in an increase in acuity. Patients are more ill and more desperate. Everyone in the community is impacted, especially healthcare workers.

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