Mental Health in the Borderland
An increase in mental health conditions drives research and clinical advancement at TTUHSC El Paso
Adults have been experiencing an increase in mental illness and mental health issues over the past few years, exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide and within the region our health sciences center calls home.
In 2019, 21% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness, an increase from previous years’ data, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Only 45% of those with mental illness received treatment that same year.
“Mental health has been affected significantly throughout the country, but even more acutely in the Borderland,” said Fabrizzio Delgado, M.D., assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s Department of Psychiatry. “We recently commemorated the tragic events of Aug. 3 in our community, piled on to the pandemic year we just experienced.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the rise in mental health issues because of its social, economic and psychological effects, Dr. Delgado said.
“Suddenly we had to isolate. We couldn’t see our friends or family members, and these measures have greatly impacted our community’s mental health,” he said.
In El Paso, more people have experienced depression, anxiety and substance use disorders. Bipolar disorders have also been a concern for local psychiatrists as many patients stopped psychiatric visits during the pandemic. Instability in life can cause bipolar episodes in patients working toward routine treatment.
According to Dr. Delgado, an unfortunate co-occurrence of mental health disorders is substance use.
“Alcohol use has gone up all over the country, including in our region. We’re seeing increasing numbers of patients with disorders associated with alcohol and drug use. This is a very concerning trend all over Texas,” he said. In El Paso County in particular, 271 deaths related to drug overdose were reported from 2017-2019.
Along with his clinical work at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, Dr. Delgado is researching and identifying barriers in access to mental health care for El Pasoans. His work will help improve services and treatment strategies for people with opioid use disorders.
Growing our resources
In July, the Department of Psychiatry at TTP El Paso opened a new addiction clinic to help address mental health and substance use disorders in the Paso del Norte region. Currently, only two physicians in El Paso are board certified in addiction psychiatry, one being Dr. Delgado.
"More than 20 million Americans suffer from a type of substance use disorder,” Dr. Delgado said. “This is a very common health issue, and we don’t have enough physicians trained in the specialty of addiction psychiatry. Opening a new clinic will increase access to care in our region.”
The only of its kind in the county, the clinic is unique in its ability to provide addiction treatment specifically from addiction psychiatrists certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Psychiatrists there can see up to 12 patients a week, but that number can be expanded as needed.
“Like other chronic illness including hypertension or diabetes, addictions must be managed in a medical model,” Dr. Delgado said. “This entails medication and medication-assisted treatment that can only be provided by physicians – ideally physicians who specialize in addiction medicine – along with counseling and groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery.”
The clinic currently serves patients 18 and older – from throughout West Texas, El Paso County and Doña Ana County – experiencing issues with substance abuse, gambling or sexual addiction. Its approach to treatment complements the Department of Psychiatry’s current myriad of psychiatric services.
El Paso and the surrounding area are considered underserved when it comes to health care providers and services, including psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals. Providing targeted mental health care and creating more ways to respond to crises is a powerful step in the university’s mission to provide access to all health care resources in the Borderland.
“Opening a new clinic will increase access to care in our region.”
— Fabrizzio Delgado, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry