Pandemic worsens mental health of Pearland, Friendswood area

Community Impact Newspaper, February 12, 2022

UTMB Health Psychiatry Webster saw about 9,900 patients from September 2019 to August 2020; that number increased nearly 20% to about 11,800 patients seen from September 2020 to August 2021, according to UTMB data. While the introduction of telehealth has opened access, the demand greatly outpaces the number of providers available for counseling, said Dr. Jeff Temple, a professor and licensed psychologist at UTMB. “There’s only so many hours and only so many people that an individual (provider) can see,” Temple said. “The increased access has helped, but the demand is so great that it still is leaving people lacking.”