According to data from Mental Health America (MHA), however, more people are facing deteriorating mental health. From January through September of 2020, the number of people who have taken MHA’s anxiety screenings has increased by 93 percent over the entire previous year. The organization’s depression screening has seen a 62 percent increase over 2019’s totals. Before the year was even over, more people were trying to find out if they were suffering from anxiety or depression than ever before.
MHA isn’t the only organization with data pointing to the mental health impact of the pandemic. A survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation in July 2020 found that 53 percent of adults said the pandemic had a negative toll on their mental health. Data collected from the CDC found that 41 percent of adults experienced symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder in December 2020, compared to 11 percent in January-July of 2019.
It can be seen in the increase in overdose deaths.
And the preliminary statistics on suicides are frightening, too.
More proof that encouragement works better than insurrection on a long-term challenge to the nation. All we had to do was manage the virus pre-July to avoid a few hundred thousand deaths and extended or repeated lockdowns. Or encourage Americans to get out this summer for a walk in a park, a drive in the country, or connection with their loved ones.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm pretty angry at the media too and all their scaremongering, disinformation, and sensationalism last year too.
DeleteThough I thought it would take longer than a day for people to start admitting Trump was right all along.