Based on my looking at disposable cash flows available to the average American, I am curious if the pandemic assistance is perhaps allowing people to treat latent issues that they wouldn't have before - due to higher opportunity cost of consumption and also less cash flow.

My gut assumption would be that seeing a therapist virtually is now normalised due to COVID.

Prior to 2020, my insurer would've laughed me off if I tried to claim a psychotherapy visit that wasn't done in person. Now it seems they're bending over backwards to let me know they are allowing it.

Something as small as physically going to an appointment is enough of a barrier to access, sometimes.

To add more anecdata, I've heard of an increase in people seeking help for addiction issues (alcohol, weed). I imagine many of them perhaps were problematic in their use already, but the pandemic made things bad enough to seek help.

I also know some therapists, and one surprising thing I learned is that they are very lonely - their jobs are literally to have face-time with customers, so there is zero time left for hanging out with coworkers; something that I have a lot of in the software sector. I guess director level managers may have a similar problem but I am not there yet :)

My guess would be that many of those excess overdoses are suicides.