When the COVID-19 pandemic forced a country-wide lockdown in March, 2020, London turned eerily quiet.
The hustle and bustle vanished from shops and sidewalks. The typical droning of traffic was absent from rush hour hot spots. Fear gripped our shared consciousness. But for many already living with mood and anxiety disorders, the tension was triggering.
For over a decade, the First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program (FEMAP) has been providing enhanced mental health services to London’s youth between ages 16 and 25. From psychiatry, psychology and social work, to addictions counselling and family therapy, the program represents a safe haven for those approaching crisis. And despite an expansion currently underway to increase capacity and reduce wait times, lockdowns suddenly cut FEMAP off from the community.
“We were concerned about vulnerable people developing more severe symptoms,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, FEMAP’s founder and lead physician.
Like everywhere else, virtual became the new business as usual. However, with therapy relying heavily on in-person contact to help establish meaningful connection, there was only so much Dr. Osuch and her team could do. Many appointments ended up getting cancelled as a result of public health mandates. But as the old saying goes: when life gives you lemons, do research.
Not ones to waste time, Dr. Osuch and her colleagues at FEMAP switched to observation mode. Thanks in part to the donors of London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), the team was able to put together and roll out a study designed to monitor the effect COVID-19 was having on their patients.
“We couldn’t see people in-person anymore, so what were we supposed to do?” Dr. Osuch asks, not really waiting for an answer. “We thought, ‘Well, let’s find out what’s going on.’”
Within a week, questionnaires were prepared and sent for research approval, then distributed to FEMAP’s 326 patients by email, 114 of whom participated. The team was on the lookout for worsening signs of depression, anxiety or quality of health. Those who were flagged for indicating heightened, more severe symptoms were sent a message asking if they’d like to be contacted by the team. As a quick, accessible method for people to communicate their mental health needs, the study proved to be easily implemented.
Overall, and perhaps not so surprisingly, the results were bleak. Cannabis and alcohol use went up across the board. People who lost their jobs or who were glued to social media reported lower moods. Thoughts were rife with doom and gloom.
“COVID has been devastating to youth,” Dr. Osuch says. The gravity of her research pulls her voice down an octave.
As the first study of its kind to gather mental health data from a vulnerable population during the pandemic, Dr. Osuch hopes to pave the way for widespread integration. With support from donors, a pilot program is being developed allowing patients to update their well-being via smartphone. Real-time feedback for clinicians will help them provide faster care to the people who are experiencing crisis in the moment. Because now more than ever, for youth struggling with mental illness, every second counts.