More than half of U.S. adults report that coronavirus-related stress and worry have negatively affected their mental health.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an obvious threat to physical safety, but advocates stress that Americans shouldn’t sleep on their mental health.
Meanwhile, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published this month found that U.S. adults had reported “considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19” during a survey administered June 24 to June 30. “Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation,” the report said.
Tap into crisis hotlines “One hundred percent, if you’re in crisis, call a hotline,” Wright said. To access coronavirus-related crisis counseling from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline, call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746. You can also reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Address your physical health You may be out of a job or working from home, but you still need to mind your basic human needs. Establish a routine, Wright said: Get enough sleep, get dressed in the morning, take a shower and eat a healthy diet. Exercise, she added, even if it’s just by going outside for fresh air. Build structure into an otherwise loose day by scheduling all of these needs, Moutier said.
If you lack an existing social-support system, “now is the time to go out and find connection with others, even if you don’t know who they are,” Wright said. Seek out online support groups or social-media communities related to your interests. After all, social distancing is actually physical distancing, Moutier said. “Socially, we can remain even closer.”
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