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Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients hospitalized for depression continues to increase.
While behavioral health services are consistently sought after throughout Virginia, obstacles remain. Whether due to a lack of adequate local services or licensed mental health professionals, many are instead turning to hospitals for help.
According to a recent Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association report, hospitalizations for behavioral health diagnoses — specifically, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — steadily increased from 2020 to 2024. This was due to rising factors such as substance use disorders and youth mental health worries, including anxiety and suicidal ideation.
The pandemic also played a role. The VHHA found that despite hospitals having to halt nonemergency and elective procedures to preserve personal protective equipment, bed space and limit the spread of infection, behavioral health services were still highly requested. “While demand for most other health-based services declined during COVID, what did not decline were behavioral health and substance use services,” says Julian Walker, a spokesperson for the VHHA.
During the five-year period, there was a 26% increase in hospitalizations for those diagnosed with depression, with patients 60 and older making up about 44% of the total. VHHA also found that PTSD diagnoses rose 45% during the same period.
Virginia currently ranks 22nd in the U.S. for mental health care access, according to the 2025 State of Mental Health in America report. Many areas lack accessibility to treatment, especially in rural and underserved communities. With the current shortage of licensed mental health professionals, often the only place left to go is the hospital. Private hospitals account for about 92% of inpatient admissions, according to the VHHA report.
“Hospitals are responding by adding more adult and pediatric beds,” Walker says. “But hospitals are experiencing patients coming in for behavioral health [who] are staying longer, which takes more staff time and resources.” Last year, the average hospital stay for such patients was 8.8 days.
Some Richmond area hospitals offering mental health assistance include Chippenham Hospital, VCU Medical Center and Bon Secours Richmond Health System, which have inpatient psychiatric care units. Bon Secours also offers a telehealth program for psychiatric care.
Meanwhile, the statewide Crisis Services Expansion initiative will increase the amount of stabilization facilities, mobile crisis teams, call centers and crisis receiving centers. The initiative aims to help people access care while decreasing unnecessary hospitalizations and reliance on emergency rooms and law enforcement during behavioral health crises.
Data courtesy Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association
