Americans are struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic after months of severe lockdowns, widespread illness and economic hardship that have fallen disproportionately on the young, minorities and those most vulnerable to financial shocks.
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds the number of Americans reporting adverse mental health and behavioral changes – such as drinking or drug use – over a dangerous rise in recent months.
About a quarter of Americans reported symptoms of an anxiety disorder, three times higher than what a similar survey found a year ago. Those who reported depression quadrupled, up to nearly a quarter.
About 13 percent of Americans said they drank more or used more drugs because of the stress of the pandemic. And nearly 11 percent said they had considered serious suicide in the past month, including more than a quarter of those between 18 and 24 years old.
In total, 41 percent of Americans said they suffer from one or more symptoms of serious mental health problems. The CDC said treating those conditions was an essential part of the response to the pandemic.
“Remarkably increased incidence of reported adverse mental and behavioral health conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic marks the widespread impact of the pandemic and the need to prevent and treat these conditions,” the authors wrote. “Addressing inequalities in mental health and preparing systems to mitigate mental health consequences as the pandemic evolves will be urgently needed.”
The CDC survey found that younger people, Hispanics and African Americans are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions caused by the pandemic alongside essential workers and unpaid caregivers for adults. Most at risk are those who are already undergoing treatment for a previously diagnosed mental health situation.
More than 21 percent of essential workers had considered suicide in the last month, and a quarter of those workers said they now use substances more than before the pandemic.
About one in five Americans say they know someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, while 8 percent say they know one of the approximately 160,000 people who have died in the United States.
The CDC survey included responses from 5,412 U.S. adults between June 24-30.
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