This pandemic has become a health crisis in more ways than one. COVID-19 is a clear threat to our physical health, but the feelings of fear, uncertainty, and isolation it’s led to have also created a very real mental health crisis, especially coupled with other traumatic events over the past few months: graphic displays of police brutality against Black people, devastating natural disasters, and heightening political unrest. Recent studies are already showing the effects on our mental health. By mid-April, according to a Boston University study, rates of depression symptoms had already tripled compared to pre-pandemic levels. Another study revealed that younger adults, racial minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported worse mental health outcomes, increased substance abuse, and elevated suicidal ideation due to the pandemic.
“This is a very, very difficult time,” Chevonna Gaylor, LMFT, a Los Angeles-based therapist, told POPSUGAR. “For people who have already struggled with depression, it’s going to be worse. With people who have never experienced depression, they may now be struggling. We’re going to see a heightened experiencing of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, at the very least.”
