Rev. Danny Fisher

“From the left, Monica Ferrari, Victoria Villalba and Line Bovery at a meditation class in Florida.” Photo by Richard Patterson for the New York Times.
Via Aaron Lackowski at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog: The New York Times has a feature in today’s “Health” section about the recession, anxiety, and mental health. Here’s a snippet:

It is early to measure the recession’s consequences, but surveys suggest a growing impact. In an American Psychological Association poll in September, 80 percent reported the economy’s causing significant stress, up from 66 percent last April. The National Sleep Foundation said 27 percent of people surveyed last fall had sleeplessness because of economic anxiety.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline calls jumped to 50,158 in January 2009 from 39,465 a month in January 2008, and economic stress more frequently “played a central role,” said Richard McKeon, the group’s federal project officer.

The Treasury, Labor and other departments started a Web site for people experiencing stress. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is training counselors who usually assist people devastated by tornadoes and floods to now help people with what they “are going through with the economy,” said Dr. McKeon, an agency adviser.