Mental distress, suicidal thoughts impacting more Americans due to COVID-19 pandemic

Aug. 29--Feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness have increased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- even among people with no history of mental illness -- an issue that could last for the foreseeable future, according to health experts.

"Our country is indeed going through a tremendous amount of stress unlike I have ever seen," said Dr. Nicholas Covino, practicing psychologist and president of William James College in Newton.

There has been a more-than-threefold increase in the percentage of American adults who reported symptoms of psychological distress -- from 3.9% in 2018 to 13.6% in April 2020, Johns Hopkins University researchers found.

The biggest increase was in adults age 18-29.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from June 24-30 show 40.9% of survey respondents reported at least one adverse mental health condition related to the pandemic and nearly 11% reported having seriously considered suicide.

"At a time when we most need it, gathering together and connecting with each other is even more challenging than normal, so finding a way to get comfort, connectivity, information and create a plan is really hard," said Covino.

Dr. Johannes Thrul, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, "The impact of the pandemic on the mental health of the U.S. population is a problem that will likely be with us for the foreseeable future."

Thrul said mental distress is even impacting people who have no history of mental health conditions, "It's important to keep in mind as these individuals likely have little experience of navigating the mental health service system."

Johns Hopkins research found greater exposure to media such as national and local news, newspapers and social media led to higher levels of distress among people during the pandemic.

"If you are spending time on social media, I would suggest limiting it to activities that would be most supportive of your mental health," such as connecting with friends and family, said Thrul during a Thursday webcast.

The pandemic has also led to unemployment, pay cuts and furloughs, another risk factor for increased mental distress, said Elizabeth Stuart, associate dean for education at the Bloomberg school.

Stuart, citing Johns Hopkins research, said 19% of people in households with incomes less than $35,000 per year experienced serious distress in 2020 compared to 7.9% in 2018.

Stuart, Thrul and Covino all noted that in addition to the pandemic, the stress of politics and racial injustice on the general population is weighing heavily.

But, Covino said, "As long as we stay connected to each other and committed to improving our situation, human beings can do remarkable things."

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