How Americans Can Support Mental Health

Exactly a year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic. In the months that followed, millions of people around the world became ill and more than 2.5 million were killed by the virus. More than 500,000 of those deaths were in the United States alone.

At the same time, measures to delay the spread of the virus Changed the world: Blockades and quarantines have become routine, office buildings have been emptied, and major milestones have been canceled or put on hold. Millions have mourned big and small losses.

Not surprisingly, these major changes have had a profound impact on the country’s collective mental health.The American Psychological Association (APA) Annual “American Stress” SurveyMeasures the response from more than 3,000 adults to stress levels over the past year.

The survey reveals a “secondary health crisis” and in addition Difficulty managing stressors To deal with sadness and trauma, people also reported that their physical health was declining. Many respondents said they experienced unwanted weight changes. Drink more alcohol I didn’t get the right amount of sleep to cope with the stress.

“People really report that they are engaged in fairly serious unhealthy coping behavior,” said Vaile Wright, a clinical psychologist and senior director of APA’s healthcare innovation. “… I think we see patterns and unhealthy coping behaviors that can actually lead to adverse physical and mental health.”

According to an APA survey Young adults were most likely to report changes Pandemic Mental Health: 46% of Gen Z, Adults 18-23 Mental health was deteriorating, And 65% of respondents in that age group said they felt “very lonely” in the pandemic. Approximately 62% of millennial adults in the second oldest age group said they felt the same, but only 31% of millennials said they felt their mental health had deteriorated.

Wright said it was normal for “the youngest adult” to “always report the highest levels of stress and negative effects on mental health” in this study, but this year Brought a unique challenge..

“For many young adults, this is probably the first, if not the biggest, adversity they have ever faced,” Wright said. “Developingly, when you think about what should happen when you are young, it should be about developing a sense of autonomy and your own identity away from your family, and everyone now You can’t do that. Combinations of milestones, such as graduation, starting school or postponing college, and the (potential) actual loss of a loved one, are combined on top of the loss. It’s a combination of all these factors and is currently very difficult for Gen Z. “

Wright is, for many, a pandemic “anniversary” Especially difficult Work on.

“The literature, research, and trauma on (post-traumatic stress disorder) show that anniversaries can be a real trigger for people. That’s what you’re seeing right now. It’s overwhelming, “said Wright. “I’ve heard that I feel like I’ve lost a year, but there are certainly a lot of things I can do as an individual … I think there are times of reflection and sadness.”

Social media feeds remind us of what life was like before the pandemic, and people talk about everything they’ve seen this year’s changes. Recommended by experts Check in yourself and set the appropriate boundaries.

“One of the most important parts here is finding a way to handle everything we did for us and us last year,” said Jessica Stern, a clinical psychologist at NYU Langone Health. I will. “It pioneered a lot of despair and turmoil, and for many, if not almost everyone, it felt like a dead end, a dead end, and no idea when.” You can continue with “Regularly Scheduled Programming”. I think it’s important to handle it. “

Dr. K. Luangfan, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, said many people may be experiencing something like sadness. ..

“I have the opportunity to revisit what I lost last year, which is almost like getting out of the process of sadness,” Fam said. “Depending on the occasion you lost a loved one, lost a job, lost a relationship with a friend, a family reunion or attending a wedding, they feel not only health but also social. It was a concrete loss of reality. “

Stern said one of the best things people can do now is to “take a step back” and “reflect” what. Last year changedAnd, while accepting that some things are out of control, think about what you might be able to control or change in the future.

“What really helps is understanding what it takes as an individual to handle that anniversary or this series of anniversaries,” says Stern.

Stern understands that people should “make space for the fact that we all have different emotions on different days” and mixed emotions are a fairly normal experience for many. I said I should do it. It can also help you set boundaries, such as limiting the amount of time you spend on social media and avoiding the ability to view memories of the previous year.

The APA study measured the stress response of people over the past year, but interviewed experts said Progress of vaccine deployment It can also have a positive impact on people’s mental health.

Stern said he would give people a “sense of hope” and “an opportunity to carefully and carefully regain a sense of hope and a sense of freedom and one step closer” as the deployment expands, but those feelings “overwhelm” a year later. Being paused, which can be “targeted”.

“I find it helpful to look around your life and see what the changes you felt immediately wanted to get involved again,” Stern said. “It’s helpful to find moments of small connections with what you’ve lost or had to cut off your life before …. There’s definitely a lot of hope for vaccination.”

Wright added that vaccination could help people recognize that pandemic stress does not just go away.

“We need to admit our stress, because if we don’t admit it, we can’t deal with it,” Wright said. By admitting that “this is really stressful, really stressful, and will continue to be a little stressful”, we can identify some solutions. “

Fans should feel comfortable with people setting boundaries, Engage in activities that they consider safeEven if the pandemic seems to be improving.

“There are many possibilities,” he said, comparing it to the Roaring Twenties following the 1918 flu epidemic. “Some people feel that they need to make a fuss and get back to their original state, while others are very hesitant to do so. There is a big range in between. Admit that you don’t have it. Please do it all at once. “

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