Description
In addition to threatening Americans’ physical health and economic stability, the coronavirus pandemic has caused high levels of emotional distress throughout the country. The levels are so high in fact that the report’s co-authors believe the country faces an imminent national mental health crisis—unless Congress, states, and local communities take action. Undeniably, U.S. society is in a collective state of traumatic distress.
According to the study, the impact of racism, the pandemic, and an economic downturn will worsen over the next few years, and the tsunami of mental health misery will include:
- Wage earners who will not be rehired
- Health-compromised individuals with a pre-existing condition
- Social drinkers who are now consuming more and more alcohol
- Parents who agonize about the future of their school-age children and disabled children
- Uninsured Americans who will not receive help for chronic anxiety and depression
Based on the AMHCA report, nearly 41 percent of adults nationally are reporting that they are suffering from a mental health disorder -- or about 103 million adults in the U.S. The AMHCA study is based on surveys developed by the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics.
For more information, please see the link below to a key table through the Census Bureau Pulse Survey. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm