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As the light at the end of the pandemic grows brighter, it’s time to pay special attention to the long-lasting impacts of this crisis on mental health – which might take much longer for many to overcome. Over the last year, too many people have lost their loved ones, struggled with loneliness and isolation, or endured economic hardship and strain on their families. According to a June 2020 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 31% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, 13% reported having started or increased substance use, and 26% reported stress-related symptoms – nearly double the numbers we would have expected prior to the pandemic.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a critical moment for a community-wide conversation about this silent epidemic. Of the many lessons we learned from the pandemic, certainly one is that safeguarding our mental health is an integral part of overall health and just as important as maintaining our physical health.
The COVID-19 pandemic both deepened existing mental health afflictions – like the impact of social on those already suffering from mental health issues – and an alarming increase in mental health struggles in young people. The CDC reported a 24 percent increase in the proportion of mental health emergency department visits for kids ages 5 to 11 between April and October of last year, and a 31 percent increase for adolescents ages 12 to 17. Locally, the Miami Herald has recently reported on the high rates of anxiety and depression in our high school students.
When we initiated our Thrive305 survey earlier this year, one of our main focus points was identifying the long-term impacts and challenges the pandemic would create for our residents. One of the more surprising results from the survey was that mental health programs ranked as the most important or second-most important service for the remainder of the pandemic for residents under the age of 44.
We face an enormous challenge as we emerge from the pandemic, but also a great opportunity. Miami-Dade County stands ready to double down on our mental health resources by investing relief funding available through the American Rescue Plan to strengthen our social infrastructure and help residents fully recovery from the hardship of the last year. And we are fortunate to have an extraordinary network of local nonprofits that provide mental health support and resources.
The pandemic also brought greater innovation in how we administer mental healthcare – through telephone support programs, support groups of all kinds on zoom, and other novel intervention methods to support those struggling with loneliness, isolation, and mental health issues. As we move forward, we must be proactive in making these services a permanent component of our healthcare infrastructure to make mental health more accessible for all parts of our community.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with anxiety, depression, or some other mental health issue that you have been hesitant to address, the time is now. Help is here. You can call the 211 line for guidance on Mental Health resources, or go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Miami Chapter https://namimiami.org/ for support groups, and information. Thriving Mind (Thrivingmind.org) offers care for individuals and families with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders for uninsured individuals. Speak to your guidance counselor, take a look at the employee assistance program at your workplace, or have a conversation with your faith leader. However you choose to seek help, always remember that you are not alone: our community is behind you, and that you are loved and valued more than you may know.
