Although vaccines have lessened the impact of COVID-19 and many countries no longer have strict measures against the disease, many people are still feeling the mental health effects of the pandemic. This experience, especially during the first year of the pandemic, was for many a traumatic event that changed lives forever. The short- and long-term effects of the pandemic on mental health should not be underestimated. One positive outcome of the pandemic, however, has been global attention and increased public discussion about mental health. Yet, only time will tell what impact the pandemic will have on the way mental health is discussed, approached and treated in different parts of the world.
Anxiety and depression
Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health disorders worldwide. Even though only about four percent of It is estimated that people around the world suffer from an anxiety disorder and just under four percent are I thought I was suffering from depression, the symptoms of these disorders are extremely common. Symptoms of anxiety may include feelings of panic or fear, increased heart rate, and muscle tension, while depression is characterized by feelings of low mood, lack of motivation and pleasure, and decreased energy levels. Symptoms of both disorders can be mild or have a significant impact on a person’s well-being by affecting sleep, concentration, appetite, social interactions, and/or the ability to perform daily activities. A report published by the OECD in May 2021 analyzing 15 countries found that in every country, the the prevalence of anxiety or anxiety symptoms has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, while 19% of people in the UK reported experiencing anxiety or anxiety symptoms before COVID-19, around 39% reported it in March and April 2020. one report noted similar findings regarding depressionwith around eight percent of Japanese reporting experiencing depression or symptoms of depression before the pandemic, compared to 17 percent in 2020. Additionally, a WHO report found that in 2020 many countries reported disruptions to mental health, neurological and substance abuse services such as those for older adults, critical harm reduction, and overdose prevention and management.
The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in the United States
As in many other countries, Americans have reported worsening mental health and increased feelings of anxiety and depression due to the pandemic. Since April 2020, the CDC has surveyed a sample of the U.S. population approximately weekly to monitor changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression. Symptoms of both have fluctuated over the course of the pandemic as cases waxed and waned and lockdowns and restrictions were enacted and then eased. Anxiety symptoms peaked in fall 2020, when up to 37% of respondents reported such symptoms. Symptoms of depression followed a similar trend with 30 percent of respondents reporting symptoms of depression in December 2020. Throughout the pandemic, symptoms of anxiety and depression have been more common among women than men in the United States. United. Younger people are also more likely to report adverse mental health symptoms than the elderly. For example, in June 2020, nearly 75 percent of people ages 18 to 24 reported one or more adverse mental or behavioral health symptoms, compared to 52 percent of people ages 25 to 44 and 30 percent of 54 to 64 years old.
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