{"id":96377,"date":"2021-05-13T11:15:51","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T15:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/?p=96377"},"modified":"2021-05-13T11:15:51","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T15:15:51","slug":"96377-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/96377-2\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19\u2019s toll on mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is one in a series of articles about the pandemic and America\u2019s <\/span><\/i>First Female Recession<\/span><\/i><\/a>. See <\/span><\/i>more here<\/span><\/i><\/a>. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of NCRC.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

How is your stress level? Are you feeling anxious? If you answered pretty high or yes, you are not alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The pandemic\u2019s impact on mental health is <\/span>significant<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>well-documented<\/span><\/a>. Worry about contracting the virus, loss of loved ones, isolation, sustained disruption in our daily activities, income loss, job loss, etc. have had individual and combined impact \u2013 resulting in increased stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression among the general U.S. population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) <\/span>dashboard<\/span><\/a> drawing on analysis of its own polling as well as others such as the <\/span>CDC\u2019s Household Pulse Surveys<\/span><\/a> led by the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau throughout the pandemic, revealed that 35% to 42% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety (such as feeling nervous, on edge or unable to stop worrying) or depression (such as feeling hopeless, down or having little interest or pleasure in doing things). For comparison purposes, pre-pandemic responses to the same questions showed only 11% of respondents reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data shows that the increase in mental health distress has been particularly pronounced among a few groups:\u00a0 communities of color, women, all adults ages 18 to 29, essential workers, those who have lost jobs or income, and parents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking at the pandemic\u2019s impact on women, in particular, the gap between the percent of women and the percent of men reporting mental health distress (<\/span>55% of all women compared to 38% of all men<\/span><\/a>) widens with additional stressors. For example, women with children report stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression at higher rates than men with children (<\/span>58% of women with children compared to 32% of men with children<\/span><\/a>). The reasons for this gap are unclear. It may be that women \u2013 particularly women of color \u2013 have been impacted by job loss and furloughs at<\/span> significantly higher rates than men<\/span><\/a>. It may be that women have borne the brunt of <\/span>family and home care responsibilities<\/span><\/a> while simultaneously attending to work responsibilities. It may be that <\/span>stigma and gendered social norms<\/span><\/a> make men less likely to seek help for mental health distress.<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering compounding stressors within the female-identifying population, it is important to point out the role of combined stressors and uneven impact on mental health among women. For example, women ages 18 to 29 report negative mental health impacts resulting from COVID-19 <\/span>at higher rates<\/span><\/a> (69%) than women ages 65 and older (36%). Women with children have reported these same symptoms at higher rates than women without children (<\/span>49% compared to 40%<\/span><\/a>). Standing at the intersection of COVID\u2019s disproportionate impact in terms of diagnoses and deaths, job loss and furloughs, caregiving responsibilities, as well as the ongoing trauma of racism, women of color continue to bear a disproportionate burden of stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Access to mental health services<\/b><\/p>\n

The increase in reported stress, anxiety and depression symptoms corresponds with an increased demand for mental health services. This has <\/span>put a strain<\/span><\/a> on our <\/span>already-limited mental health care infrastructure<\/span><\/a>. Among survey respondents who have reported a need for mental health services or medication, <\/span>32% have not gotten them<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Reasons for not accessing mental health services include<\/span><\/a>: inability to find a provider, affordability, time constraints, insurance coverage for treatment, and embarrassment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Impact of prolonged stress: The connection between mental and physical health<\/b><\/p>\n

Stress impacts everyone at various points in their lives. It often ebbs and flows, and\/or can be managed with self-care practices. However, prolonged periods of stress, or chronic stress, can result in a long-term drain or wear-and-tear on the body as the body\u2019s nervous system remains in a state of high alert over a long period of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have already seen the increase in reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, <\/span>substance use<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>changes in sleep patterns<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>weight gain<\/span><\/a>. While we do not yet know what COVID-19\u2019s long-term mental health impact will be, we do know that people living with prolonged exposure to stress are <\/span>disproportionately impacted with chronic conditions<\/span><\/a> such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

The impact of COVID-19 on our mental health combined with limited access to mental health services thus presents <\/span>a significant concern<\/span><\/a> well beyond our mental health and wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strengthening our Mental Health Care Infrastructure<\/b><\/p>\n

There are great examples showing how community<\/span> investment in mental health services can strengthen the wellbeing of communities<\/span><\/a> in clear and direct ways. Drawing on these and prioritizing communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, opportunities to increase access to mental health services include:<\/span><\/p>\n