The evidence of mental health trauma is piling up. A survey by the CDC found "elevated levels" of mental anguish due to the stress of the coronavirus pandemic. Overall, 41 percent of Americans have experienced one or more adverse mental or behavioral symptoms because of the pandemic.
The CDC fielded the survey June 24-30. The survey's questions assessed symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma or stress-related disorder, increased substance use, and suicidal thoughts. Here are the findings...
Percent of Americans with adverse mental health conditions, June 24-30
25.5% have an anxiety disorder
24.3% have a depressive disorder
26.3% have trauma or stress related disorder
13.3% had started/increased substance use
10.7% had considered suicide in the past 30 days
These numbers are not normal. "The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety disorder was approximately three times those reported in the second quarter of 2019 (25.5% versus 8.1%)," the CDC reports. "Prevalence of depressive disorder was approximately four times that reported in the second quarter of 2019 (24.3% versus 6.5%)." The percentage of respondents who had seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days climbed from 4.3 percent in the second quarter of 2019 to the 10.7 percent of June 2020.
Younger adults are faring the worst. Among 18-to-24-year-olds, fully 75 percent exhibited at least once adverse mental or behavioral health symptom, as did 52 percent of those aged 25 to 44. The figure was 29.5 percent among 45-to-64-year-olds and 15 percent among people aged 65 or older.
Source: CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation during the Covid-19 Pandemic—United States, June 24–30, 2020
1 comment:
Indeed, these are testing times and such psychological impact of the pandemic makes any society more vulnerable to disturbances.
It is also a matter of concern that "younger adults are faring the worst".
It would be worthwhile to conduct a similar survey (both with the same sample and another similar sample) in say 6 months to see whether such figures persist or does the population get used to the new normal).
We can only imagine how difficult it must be for children (and by transitivity, their parents) who by their inherent nature are not accustomed to such curtailment of freedom.
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