Psychologists are seeing more patients with anxiety and depression since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as most licensed psychologists say they are treating at least some patients remotely via telehealth, according to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association.

“These data underscore what we already feared: The coronavirus pandemic is taking a heavy emotional toll on many Americans,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA's chief executive officer. “Psychologists are available to provide treatment to those who need it via videoconferencing or phone, as well as in-person where necessary. We need to invest in prevention and treatment, facilitate access to care, and continue to support and expand the provision of telehealth services.”

The survey, which was conducted between Aug. 28 and Oct. 5, also found that nearly three in 10 psychologists (29%) said they are seeing more patients overall since the start of the pandemic. Of psychologists who provide treatment for anxiety disorders, nearly three-quarters (74%) reported an increase in demand for such treatment, and 60% of those providing treatment for depressive disorders saw an increase. Other treatment areas with significant increases in demand included trauma and stress-related disorders (48%) and sleep-wake disorders (51%).

The vast majority (96%) of psychologists reported treating patients remotely—64% said they are treating all patients remotely, while 32% are treating some patients in person and some remotely. A third (33%) of psychologists said they are now working with some patients who live in a different state from the one in which they practice.

The growth in telehealth usage comes after many state governors have put in place emergency orders, such as temporary licensing waivers, to increase access to telehealth services as a result of the pandemic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have also relaxed some rules, temporarily allowing audio-only phone services, expanding the types of services that can be provided via telehealth, and easing restrictions on both the geographic locations and eligible sites where Medicare beneficiaries can receive telehealth services. APA has asked that these rules remain in place for at least six months after the federal government declares the pandemic emergency is over to facilitate access to treatment, ensure adequate reimbursement of services and include coverage of audio-only telehealth services.

Given the increased demand for treatment, more than four in 10 psychologists (41%) said that they felt burned out, and 30% said that they have not been able to meet the demand for treatment from their patients. However, a majority of psychologists said they have been able to practice self-care (66%) and maintain a positive work-life balance (55%).

This survey updates the data from an earlier survey on the same subject released in June 2020. More data from this survey is available online (PDF, 54KB), alongside other telehealth resources.

Methodology

The American Psychological Association's COVID-19 Telehealth Practitioner Survey was distributed to a geographically representative sample of U.S. psychologists, including both APA members and non-members. The survey was fielded from Aug. 28 to Oct. 5, 2020. A total of 1,787 psychologists responded to the survey. This was a non-probability sample, and thus it is not possible to calculate confidence intervals or margins of error.