By Emmy Benton, Editor-in-Chief

According to a recent study by the American Psychological Association, individuals aged 13 to 17 were the most likely age group to seek treatment for mental health issues in 2021, with 46% of psychologists reporting an increase in this demographic.

What’s scary, however, is that same study found that 60% of psychologists had no openings for new patients, and 38% had waitlists that varied in length from a few weeks to a few months.

With difficulty booking appointments, many students are struggling to address their mental health needs and are having to wait months to see a therapist. A First Flight student who wished to remain anonymous to speak more candidly about their experience with therapy says that finding a therapist was only part of the battle.

“It’s really hard to find a therapist that meets your needs because a lot of therapists who are on a broader spectrum cover multiple areas like family matters, or things like that,” the student said. “It was really difficult to find a therapist that took my insurance and met my needs.”

It took them about two months of constant phone calls and being put on waitlists to get an appointment with a counselor. Then, booking appointments became the issue. 

“With the influx of people that are in therapy, it was extremely difficult to make appointments,” the student said. “I would have to book appointments for the whole month and if I had to cancel an appointment because I had something going on, I wasn’t getting that back. I couldn’t reschedule for that week. It was just gone.”

The difficult process of booking appointments with therapists has been seen by FFHS guidance counselor Beth Garrett. She has experienced the therapist shortage first-hand with students in her caseload.

When a student who is struggling with mental health comes to her, Garrett listens and offers suggestions for how they can get help. More recently, though, she, along with the other guidance counselors, have had to act as stand-in therapists until students can be seen by a professional. 

“If we have a student we do an assessment on and they are struggling with depression, trauma, suicidal thoughts or attempts, we’re the ones that they speak to until they can get in with a therapist eight weeks from now,” Garrett said. 

Karla Coughenour, therapist and owner of Thrivewell Counseling Center, has experienced an increase in demand from adolescents in particular. There is now a short waitlist, but a waitlist nevertheless. 

“I believe the pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health and relational health,” Coughenour said. “We saw a significant increase in the numbers of adolescents who were seeking help for anxiety, depression and eating disorders.” 

As a result of these increases, Coughenour decided to hire a new professional and even switched one therapist from part-time to full-time. 

However, even changes such as these, waiting lists are still a concern for many across the Outer Banks, including therapist Christie McEwan. 

McEwan is the owner of Outer Banks Counseling Services and, like Coughenour, has had more people contacting her for treatment in recent years.

“Being booked and unable to take new clients from time to time has been my experience for at least five years,” McEwan said. 

To meet this demand, she has begun to utilize methods other than in-person meetings to ensure she is able to keep her waitlist low. She has continued to use telehealth that she first began using in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic. 

Telehealth is a means by which appointments are conducted remotely without having to go to an office. This method became popular during the pandemic due to social distancing protocols, but continues to offer an innovative way for patients to be seen by professionals.

“I was able to continue meeting with all of my clients utilizing telehealth in late March 2020 and it worked,” McEwan said. “I had not considered telehealth as a viable option prior to that and my experience has shown me that it can work really well.”

Telehealth may be the only way for some people to see a therapist quickly due to the fact that the appointment is conducted via video conferencing, taking away the constraints of location. Garrett sometimes tells her students to consider searching for a therapist off the island.

“Depending on the student, I recommend trying Virginia,” Garrett said. “It’s a bummer to have to drive to Chesapeake, but they have a lot more counselors than us. Or be willing to do the online thing temporarily, because you can meet with someone from California – it doesn’t matter.”

There’s not one specific issue that has led to the shortage of available mental health professionals, but Garrett pointed out two main problems. For starters, she said, “There’s a lack of resources because that’s not funded or valued in this country  – it’s just not.” But the Outer Banks’ affordable housing crisis also complicates the issue: “I bet Key West has the same problem, Cape Cod, some towns out in Colorado. There’s a housing problem,” Garrett added.

Even with the lack of therapists on the Outer Banks, Garrett urges people to get help if they’re struggling with their mental health.

“You’re not going to think your way out of it. You don’t have all the answers, and you shouldn’t,” Garrett said. “I don’t have all the answers and need help in my own life, so everybody needs help.”

With more people going to therapy and conversations surrounding therapy being normalized, the negative perceptions about getting help are beginning to disappear, McEwan added.

“I am hoping that our work to diminish the stigma of seeking help for normal reactions to abnormal situations is contributing to the increase in seeking professional assistance,” McEwan said. 

Senior Emmy Benton can be reached at 23bentonem58@daretolearn.org.