The mental health effects of the coronavirus are showing up in significant ways for Americans struggling to cope with the pandemic, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the final week of June, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health issues or substance use at some point in the previous month as they try to cope with the various challenges of the coronavirus. That number has been climbing slowly but steadily over recent months.
The most common issue was depression and anxiety, with 30% of the 5,412 respondents reporting symptoms in the last 30 days. More than a quarter of respondents said they experienced trauma- and stressor-related disorder and 13% said they used drugs or alcohol as a way of coping with negative emotions related to the pandemic.
Shockingly, 11% said they had seriously considered committing suicide in the last month.
“The research and data are mounting toward a pretty alarming potential for a crisis,” said Dr. Vaile Wright, the senior director of health care innovation at the American Psychological Association. “In terms of the impact of COVID, coupled with the economic downturn as well as systemic racism that has been in the news, it is certainly showing all these things are having a significant effect on people’s mental health.”
Mental health professionals have been warning for months that increased isolation, financial distress and disruptions to normal patterns of life would have significant consequences on Americans’ mental health. Even before the coronavirus hit, one-quarter of U.S. adults suffered from a diagnosable mental health condition. Suicide rates were on the rise as the tenth leading cause of death. Drug overdoses cost more than 71,000 lives and alcohol-related fatalities topped 88,000.
People of color, who are at greater risk of severe or fatal COVID-19 infections, showed a greater incidence of adverse mental health symptoms in the CDC study. Overall, more than half of Hispanics and 42% of Black respondents said they had one or more mental health symptoms in the last month, compared to 38% of white respondents and 32% of Asians. Nearly 19% of those who recently contemplated suicide were Hispanic and 15% were Black.
The disproportionate impact on communities of color has raised concerns among some mental health professionals that people who need help might avoid seeking it. “When you talk about communities of color, minorities, certainly it’s bigger because there’s that stigma and sometimes out communities consider it a sign of weakness or vulnerability,” said Montrella Cowan, a licensed therapist and clinical social worker in Washington, D.C.
For people that might want to seek help, there can be cultural barriers around sharing personal problems with strangers and myths about what mental health really is, Cowan noted. “It can be quite confusing for people,” she continued. “That’s why it’s important that we get it out, to let people know it’s OK and you’re not alone. That’s why it’s important that we not ignore this anymore.”
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