The precautions we’ve needed to take to quell the coronavirus pandemic—sheltering in place, social distancing, not spending much time with people outside our own households—have exacerbated America’s mental health crisis.
“Mental health is an epidemic in itself,” Director of Outpatient Services at the Newport Academy Crystal Burwell told NOVA. “And so we should treat that with the same sense of urgency as we do the pandemic.”
Under normal circumstances, depression and mania can lead to worsened social isolation. Stress brought on by the pandemic can compound this; research shows that Americans have become more depressed and anxious because of COVID-19, with young people being disproportionately affected.
And the coronavirus may be having a more insidious effect than bringing out feelings of stress, isolation, and languishing. There’s also evidence that infection by the virus itself is associated with neurologic damage that might contribute to mental health disorders.
But COVID-19 has also highlighted resiliency. Indeed, “research on human resilience suggests that people will recover from the trauma of the pandemic faster than many believe,” psychiatrist Richard A. Friedman writes for the New York Times. For Jennifer Freese, who contracted the coronavirus in March 2020, coping techniques she learned over the years to manage her bipolar disorder also helped her manage the isolation.
Eating well, keeping up with doctor and therapist visits, and sticking to a routine can help one’s mental health, mental health coach Ellen Forney told NOVA. Some of the people who are having the greatest challenges, she believes, are those that are struggling with their mental health for the first time. And of course, patients’ access to care can also affect their outcomes. “Some of us have more resources than others of us, whether it’s because we’re white or because we have financial support or emotional support,” Forney said. “All of these things are making it really clear that there’s a big difference in those people who have resources and those who don’t. And that’s very very true in mental health always—and it’s especially true now.”
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Produced by: Amanda Willis
Narration: Emily Zendt
Production assistance:
Christina Monnen, Emily Zendt, and Ari Daniel
Archival:
Storyblocks
Music:
APM
© WGBH Educational Foundation 2021
