As I scroll through TikTok, a screenshot of a flashy headline pops up on my screen: “Life won’t go back to normal until 2024” [1]. An exaggeration? Sure. But it rings, unfortunately, all too true.
We are all too aware of how the coronavirus pandemic has turned “normal” life on its head: 3.8 million deaths and counting, with every country and government in chaos [2]. Perhaps you’ve even heard of the “second pandemic” of racism that many activists are now pushing to be fully recognized [3].
But, in the midst of the COVID statistics, protests, and hate crimes, another pandemic has emerged unnoticed: mental health.
In the past year, American adults reported an almost 4-times increase in symptoms of anxiety and/or depression [4]. Similar effects have been observed across all ages, genders, races, occupations, and countries [5]. Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of unique stressors.
First, the combination of health & economic strife.
As people worry about the prospect of contracting or spreading COVID each time they go outside, watch the crushing statistics on TV each night, and see loved ones fall sick and even die, they are prone to more stress [6, 7]. Combined with unemployment ravaging the country, which has long been linked to a higher risk of mental illness [8] and suicide [9] (10,000 suicides in North America and Europe were linked to the 2008 economic recession), mental health is in a precarious place. Indeed, those economically impacted by the pandemic reported symptoms of mental illness significantly more than those who were not (53% vs. 32%) [4]. This decline in mental well-being has the potential to spill over to more acute areas, such as difficulty eating or sleeping, increased substance use, worsening chronic health conditions, and suicide [4, 10].
Worse, the decline of social interaction has posed a new set of problems.
For example, adolescents and young adults are particularly impacted by COVID-19. Many youth have struggled with loneliness. While loneliness has been tied to negative mental and physical health effects for everyone [11] (as was confirmed by research early on in the pandemic [12]), young people are more affected by social isolation due to their greater desire for social interaction [13]. Recent research has shown that 18-24 year-olds reported symptoms of anxiety and depression at more than twice the rate of adults aged 65+ [4].
Moreover, the majority of schools across the world have closed [14]. However, educational institutions are one of the prime sources of mental health services for adolescents and young adults [15]. Now, the lucky few who did receive treatment for pre-existing mental health issues are alone as well [16]. As a result, more than a quarter of young adults have started or increased substance use and seriously considered suicide [17]. And, more of this drug use is solitary, as opposed to social [18].
All in all, the pandemic’s impacts have been far-reaching, even in the field of mental health. There is no one-and-done solution to such problems, but increased awareness and open discussions are always good starting points. If you are struggling with mental health or wish to learn more, consult the CDC’s resources at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html.
[1] Parnaby, Laura, and Milo Boyd. “Life ‘Won't Go Back to Normal until 2024 When Pandemic Is over Globally.’” The Mirror UK, January 30, 2021. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/life-wont-go-back-normal-23413477.
[2] “COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.” Worldometer, June 22, 2021. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.
[3] “'We Are Living in a Racism Pandemic,' Says APA President.” American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, May 29, 2020. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/05/racism-pandemic.
[4] Panchal, Nirmita, Rabah Kamal, Cynthia Cox, and Rachel Garlfield. “The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use.” Kaiser Family Foundation, February 10, 2021. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/.
[5] “Global Action Needed to Prevent the Deepening Crisis in Mental Health.” ReliefWeb. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, March 11, 2021. International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/global-action-needed-prevent-deepening-crisis-mental-health.
[6] Villarreal, Camila. “The Depression Epidemic.” Coppell Student Media, September 19, 2020. https://coppellstudentmedia.com/99380/opinions/the-depression-epidemic/.
[7] Su, Zhaohui, Dean McDonnell, Jun Wen, Metin Kozak, Jaffar Abbas, Sabina Šegalo, Xiaoshan Li, et al. “Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Media Coverage: the Need for Effective Crisis Communication Practices.” Globalization and Health 17, no. 4 (January 5, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00654-4.
[8] Goldsmith, Arthur, and Timothy Diette. “Exploring the Link between Unemployment and Mental Health Outcomes.” The SES Indicator 5, no. 1 (April 2012).
[9] Haiken, Melanie. “More Than 10,000 Suicides Tied To Economic Crisis, Study Says.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, June 12, 2014. https://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/06/12/more-than-10000-suicides-tied-to-economic-crisis-study-says/?sh=5368880c7ae2.
[10] Reeves, Aaron, Martin McKee, and David Stuckler. “Economic Suicides in the Great Recession in Europe and North America.” British Journal of Psychiatry 205, no. 3 (September 2014): 246–47. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.144766.
[11] Leigh-Hunt, N., D. Bagguley, K. Bash, V. Turner, S. Turnbull, N. Valtorta, and W. Caan. “An Overview of Systematic Reviews on the Public Health Consequences of Social Isolation and Loneliness.” Public Health 152 (November 2017): 157–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2017.07.035.
[12] Kirzinger, Ashley, Audrey Kearney, Liz Hamel, and Mollyann Brodie. “KFF Health Tracking Poll – Early April 2020: The Impact Of Coronavirus On Life In America.” Kaiser Family Foundation, April 2, 2020. https://www.kff.org/health-reform/report/kff-health-tracking-poll-early-april-2020/.
[13] Abbott, Alison. “COVID's Mental-Health Toll: How Scientists Are Tracking a Surge in Depression.” Nature News. Nature Publishing Group, February 3, 2021. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00175-z.
[14] “Education: From Disruption to Recovery.” UNESCO, June 2, 2021. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse.
[15] Chamberlin, Jamie. “Schools Expand Mental Health Care.” Monitor on Psychology 40, no. 1 (January 2009): 64–64.
[16] “Mental Illness and Substance Use in Young Adults.” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, June 17, 2021. https://www.samhsa.gov/young-adults.
[17] Czeisler, Mark É., Rashon I. Lane, Emiko Petrosky, Joshua F. Wiley, Aleta Christensen, Rashid Njai, Matthew D. Weaver, et al. “Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 69, no. 32 (August 14, 2020): 1049–57. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1.
[18] Dumas, Tara M., Wendy Ellis, and Dana M. Litt. “What Does Adolescent Substance Use Look Like During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Examining Changes in Frequency, Social Contexts, and Pandemic-Related Predictors.” Journal of Adolescent Health 67, no. 3 (September 2020): 354–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.018.