When it was reported that COVID-19 was in the U.S., everything was put on hold. Schools closed and businesses were shut down. Everyone had to stay home and wait for the storm to pass. The news was filled with increasing numbers of cases and deaths. Experts predicted and every day people knew that it would damage our mental health. But because we did not measure peoples’ mental health, we did not know how much damage it would do, or understand why some groups of people are suffering more.
After surveying people about their mental health, the results were even worse than expected. Compared to 2018, participants were eight times as likely to have tested positive for mental illnesses. But some people are suffering more than others. Young adults, ages 18-44, were the most affected. This might be because younger adults were more likely to lose their jobs and because they were already struggling with mental health issues. Parents were also affected a lot especially because their kids are cooped in with them. It is hard to find time to manage your kids as well as get your work done.
There are also other examples that our mental health is suffering like how there are more mental health hotlines. Because this pandemic is damaging our mental health, we should be prepared for when people need mental help. This also shows how big of an impact COVID-19 has on us, and how many people of suffering from it.