Mental Health Resources:
Free confidential emotional support hotlines:
Peer Support Groups:
Online Screening:
Click here for a list of free digital mental health resources!
- NY Project Hope - Coping with COVID-19 - https://nyprojecthope.org/
- Crisis Text Line - https://www.crisistextline.org/
- NYC Well - https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/
Peer Support Groups:
Online Screening:
Click here for a list of free digital mental health resources!
How has COVID-19 Affected People’s Mental Health?
Reference:
Background:
The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) investigated the impact of the COVID-19 on mental health by conducting several monthly polls and surveying people about their mental health.
Results:
- More than a third of U.S. adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic (34.5% in March, 36.5% in June, 40.1% in July).
- The percentage of adults ages 65 and up that reported negative mental health due to the coronavirus increased 20% from March to July (27% to 47%)
What does this mean?
The pandemic is likely to have both long and short term effects on mental health, especially for people who were already at risk of mental health illnesses.
How Can COVID-19 Affect Me Personally?
Reference:
What is the DSM?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a manual that outlines a way for clinicians, insurance providers, and researchers to classify mental disorders. It contains descriptions, symptoms, and criteria for diagnosis of mental illnesses that were compiled through extensive research by scientists and physicians.
What is General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
The DSM outlines some of the symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder that you may be experiencing due to COVID-19.
You may feel symptoms related to your mental health like:
You may also feel symptoms related to your physical health like:
If any of the above are making it hard to function in your daily life, reach out to trained specialists who can help you gain tools to better understand and manage anxiety or other mental challenges that may be arising or worsened during these stressful times.
You may feel symptoms related to your mental health like:
- Worrying most of the time
- Finding it difficult to control your worry
- Worrying making it hard to be social or function at work
You may also feel symptoms related to your physical health like:
- Being easily tired
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscle tension
- Irritability
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Restlessness (while awake or during sleep)
If any of the above are making it hard to function in your daily life, reach out to trained specialists who can help you gain tools to better understand and manage anxiety or other mental challenges that may be arising or worsened during these stressful times.
When should I seek help?
Reference:
Experimental Design:
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is a popular survey used by mental health professionals to identify possible cases of anxiety disorders. Researchers tried to identify one prompt from the Penn State Worry Questionnaire that could serve as a shorter screening tool for detecting problematic worry.
Results:
Researchers found that the prompt “I worry all the time” effectively screened for early symptoms of problematic worry. It predicted outcomes for people just as well as the full questionnaire.
What does this mean?
One important question to ask yourself is “Do I worry all the time?” It can be a good indicator of whether you might be at risk of problematic worry or anxiety. If your answer is that you do worry a lot, especially about COVID-19, it may be time to reach out to a professional and seek help.
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Up Next: Sleeping better during the pandemic
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