In addition to illness and death, what has been the human impact of the coronavirus pandemic? Take a peek at what Scott Free Clinic has seen …

People around the world have drenched themselves in news reports trying to understand the novel coronavirus that has been wreaking havoc around the world.

Are things as bad as the stories we hear and read?

Beyond the illness and tragic deaths, what really has has been the “human toll” so far from the global pandemic?

I’m constantly wading through reports, trying to assess what is real and what is exaggeration, but I can share with you what I know for sure, which is a summary of what the international ministry of Scott Free Clinic has seen and experienced thus far in the pandemic.

PRE-PANDEMIC CONTEXT:
First, it’s important to understand that prior to the onset of the pandemic, America was already experiencing a mental health crisis. Let’s take a moment to better understand what that looked like. According to a report by Mental Health America, 2020 adult data prior to the pandemic included:

Adult prevalence of mental illness:

• • 18.57% of adults are experiencing a mental health illness, equivalent to 45 million Americans.
  • 4.38% are experiencing a severe mental health illness.
  • The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.19% in New Jersey to 25.03% in Idaho.

Adult with substance abuse disorder in the past year 2020:

• • 7.68% of adults in America reported having a substance use disorder in the past year;
  • 2.72% an illicit drug use disorder in the past year;
  • 5.82% an alcohol use disorder in the past year.
  • The state prevalence of adults with substance use disorder in the past year ranges from 6.32% in Georgia to 11.55% in the District of Columbia.

Adults with serious thoughts of suicide:

• • The percentage of adults reporting serious thoughts of suicide is 4.19%.
  • The estimated number of adults with serious suicidal thoughts is over 10.3 million — an increase of nearly 450,000 people from last year’s data set.
  • The state prevalence of adults with serious thoughts of suicide range from New Jersey at 3.41% to Utah at 5.99%.

Adults with a mental illness who did not receive treatment 2020:

• • 57.2% of adults with a mental illness received no treatment.
  • Over 26 million individuals experiencing a mental health illness are going untreated.
  • The state prevalence of untreated adults with mental illness ranges from 40.7% in Vermont to 64.8% in California.

Adults with a mental illness reporting unmet need 2020:

• • Almost a quarter (22.3%) of all adults with a mental illness reported that they were not able to receive the treatment they needed. This number has not declined since 2011.
  • Individuals seeking treatment but still not receiving needed services face the same barriers that contribute to the number of individuals not receiving treatment:

1. No insurance or limited coverage of services.2. Shortfall in psychiatrists, and an overall undersized mental health workforce.
3. Lack of available treatment types (inpatient treatment, individual therapy, intensive community services).
4. Disconnect between primary care systems and behavioral health systems.
5. Insufficient finances to cover costs – including, copays, uncovered treatment types, or when providers do not take insurance.

• • • The state prevalence of adults with AMI reporting unmet treatment needs ranges from 14.3% in Alabama to 31.2% in Utah.

With that as some context, we then experience the onset of a global pandemic where, in America, more than 209,000 people have died from the coronavirus and millions of Americans find themselves unemployed, with many others now working from home. On top of this, add the impact of widespread civil unrest and elevated passions from election year activities. Public reports about “human impact” include an increase in mental health issues, an increase in reports of suicidal ideation, and even an increase in the number of divorce cases being filed. Scott Free Clinic has seen a dramatic increase of needs as follows:

OUR EXPERIENCE AT SFC:
Mental health issues, ranging from unhealthy levels of stress, chronic anxiety, clinical depression, and more. Some people with pre-existing diagnoses of a mental illness experienced an exacerbation of their illness from the added conditions caused from the pandemic. These conditions also served as a “trigger” for many who suffer with an addiction.

Regarding relationships, we have seen a marked increase in marital, family, and other relational conflicts and abuse.

We have experienced a significant spike in the need for Pastor Care (which is clinical counseling specifically for vocational and bi-vocational ministers) as many pastors find themselves overworked and overwhelmed with the task of figuring out how to shepherd a congregation during a pandemic and widespread civil unrest. Some of the need for Pastor Care comes from an increase in disunity in churches over how they should respond to the pandemic as a church. One report says disunity is now the number one concern of pastors; another report states as many as 50 percent of pastors are considering quitting vocational ministry once the pandemic is over.

Finally, we’re seeing a decline in spiritual disciplines in personal lives and in the home. One survey reports watching TV and streaming movies is the main way Christians choose to deal with the pandemic. Other surveys report as many as one-third of active Christians now do not attend or “tune in” online to church services, with yet another report saying Christians are reading their Bibles less while self-quarantining at home. Our experience with people at Scott Free Clinic is in line with these reports.

CONCLUSION:
Six years ago this month, Scott Free Clinic came into existence to remove the barriers of cost and access by providing six core services for free and using technology to reach and serve anyone anywhere who could access the internet for online meetings (yes, we’ve known what Zoom is for years!). We immediately experienced strong demand for services because of the already existing mental health crisis, yet the stiff winds of stigma have greatly impeded our ability to raise adequate financial resources to fully launch and provide services in a comprehensive manner. With the onset of the pandemic, the mental health, relational, and Pastor Care needs have skyrocketed as noted above, all at a time when our resources are only tiny, inadequate drips of support. In fact, during our coronavirus response, Scott Free Clinic lost and regained its workspace, wifi access, and use of computer on three different occasions.

I have read multiple reports predicting the “human toll” from the pandemic will be felt and experienced for several years to come, and from what I have seen, I think those predictions are accurate. For now, Scott Free Clinic continues to focus nearly all of our attention and resources toward our response to the coronavirus pandemic.

A final note: we could use your support! For six years, we have been diligent to do what we can with what little we have. God has blessed that work with the fruit of nearly 2,000 saved/changed lives thus far. But we usually enter each month not knowing if we’ll get the funds to keep our phone on and cover our operating costs for the month. If you would like to help us help people change their lives, you can do so by making a donation today, and/or by becoming a regular Care Partner with us. You can do either from our website by clicking here. We also would appreciate your prayers. If you would like to consider becoming a Prayer Partner with us, you can learn more about that by clicking here.

In His Service,

Dr. James Scott, Jr.
Founder & President,
Scott Free Clinic