From professionals to students, stress and anxiety are on the rise. So is the number of people turning to mental health experts for help.
On the UCONN campus in Storrs, the University's Counseling and Mental Health Services is seeing about a 30 percent increase in demand for help, part of a trend on campuses around the country.
Director Barry Schreier says the cases are more serious than in the past. "We used to handle adjustment and relationship issues," said Schreier. "Now, the far majority of the concerns that come through our door are depression and anxiety."
Schreier says staffing at the UCONN facility is below national guidelines. To handle the increased demand, he says they offer more group counseling sessions and refer students elsewhere. "We're trying to be creative. We're trying to network and branch out and we're trying to think outside the box," said Schreier.
Psychiatrists affiliated with St. Francis hospital are also seeing more patients seeking help at younger ages, from their teens to their 40's. "Younger people realize that if they get help earlier, they may never progress to a certain stage of the illness," said Dr. Surita Rao, the Chief of Psychiatry at St. Francis Hospital.
Experts say there are many reasons more people are seeking therapy, from the economy, to substance abuse, to increased awareness about mental health disorders. They expect the trend to continue.
"With every generation, there's less stigma for seeking help," said Dr. Rao.
