This is the first sentence I wrote this week. I wrote it on a Thursday. Like many people today, I find myself working harder and even the basic daily tasks feel heavier than usual. If it sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The pandemic has affected everyone’s mental health and there is evidence to prove it.
While the economic consequences of a global pandemic have been widely discussed, the amount it has on our collective mental health is more difficult to quantify. It is almost impossible to stay home for months, cancel events that are worth years, and even interrupt basic routines such as how we buy food without a significant impact on our mental health. And yet, one can feel that the impact of these changes is “just stress” and can treat it as something that can lead to power.
According to Mental Health America (MHA) data, however, more people are experiencing deteriorating mental health. From January to September 2020, the number of people who had MHA anxiety screenings increased by 93% compared to the previous year. The organization’s depression analysis saw a 62% increase from 2019 totals. Before the year even ended, more people were trying to find out if they were suffering from anxiety or depression than ever before.
The MHA is not the only organization with data indicating the impact of the pandemic on mental health. A July 2020 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 53 percent of adults said the pandemic had a negative impact on mental health. Data collected from the CDC found that 41 percent of adults had symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder in December 2020, compared to 11 percent in January-July 2019.
All this means it’s not just you. Mental health problems are a natural reaction to an ongoing traumatic event, such as a pandemic.
Why a pandemic increases mental health problems
The pandemic has disrupted most aspects of our lives, but the additional isolation of quarantines, social distancing and canceled events is one of the greatest taxes on our collective mental health. Not only do we miss our friends and family. The social connections we have form support systems and safety nets. With the missing or reduced, it can lead to an increase in the symptoms of anxiety or depression.
MHA Vice President for Mental Health and Systems Promotion Debbie Plotnick explained that one of the ways this can manifest itself – especially among young people – is self-harm. “In November, 53 percent of 11- to 17-year-olds reported – more than half of them – having frequent thoughts of suicide or self-harm.”
One of the main reasons, not only for the thoughts of self-harm among young people, but also for the mental health problems of people of all ages, is the distance we had to put between us. “It simply came to our notice then [the people who take MHA surveys] what bothers them – and remember, they are not all young – and tell us that it is loneliness and isolation. ”
It may seem that isolation is not as bad as some of the other stressors that a pandemic can bring – a loss of income, political unrest and disruption of programs – but it is crucial. We need other people, and although digital connections, such as meetings with Zoom or Discord parties, are very good, it’s hard to stay away from people we care about for so long.
And then there is the practical impact. As of September 2020, a quarter of adults in the United States have said they have had trouble paying bills since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. However, this number increases to 46% among lower-income households. “For those who have jobs, they are very grateful,” Plotnick said. “For those who lose their jobs, this is excruciating.”