COVID-19 impacts mental health of young adults
Across the world, countries are making progress toward vaccination of their constituents to protect them from COVID-19, and on a nationwide scale, states are making significant progress on vaccinating citizens to protect them from the disease. In fact, according to a recent state report, over 2.4 million South Floridians have already been vaccinated. However, we continue to struggle with new variants, and, even if we can reach the point of herd immunity, the mental and physical repercussions of COVID-19 will be long-lasting.
As the physical threat of COVID-19 becomes less of a mortal risk, it is important to recognize the lasting mental impact of COVID-19. Notably, COVID-19 has had negative impacts on young adults that will stay with many of them for the rest of their lives if they don’t receive the proper care, therapy and tools to succeed.
Even before the life-altering, globally disruptive pandemic hit, young adults in this generation faced challenges that their predecessors did not. Some of those challenges include social isolation, income inequality, information overload, wage stagnation, inflation and crushing college debt. One of the most important phases in an adult’s life involves training toward a desired occupation and entering the labor force. For many young adults, the pandemic brought increased stress to their lives, as many no longer had access to structured in-person college courses and lost potential job opportunities. Unemployment figures skyrocketed across the U.S. during the pandemic. Naturally, the higher levels of unemployment during this period negatively impacted the earning potential and job security of young adults. Thus, the pandemic led to increased social isolation, depression and negative health behaviors. Sadly, the pandemic also led to a notable rise in suicidal ideation among young adults.
According to the CDC, COVID-19 disproportionately impacted poorer communities, many of which include people of color. The struggles of people of color in the United States were proportionally greater in number and, as a result, this layered trauma naturally compounded the negative psychological effects of young adults who were impacted by high mortality rates in these communities.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness of the stigma associated with mental illnesses, including those affecting young adults. This month amplifies the message of “You Are Not Alone,” a focus on the healing value of connecting in safe ways, prioritizing mental health and acknowledging that it’s OK to not be OK. Together, we can become a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives — a nation where no one feels alone in their struggle.
We at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Broward County are well-aware of the impact that COVID-19 has had on young adults. As we enter this longawaited opening-up phase of COVID19, it is crucial that we continue to lead, educate and spread awareness regarding the specific issues that have impacted the younger generation during this pandemic. As a result, we created an important program called “NAMI Ending the Silence for Students,” a 50-minute presentation designed for middle and high school students that includes warning signs, facts, statistics and how people can get help for themselves or a friend. And to this end, we continue to provide our free mental health services to the community, including support groups and a youth specific group called HOPE (Healthy, Optimistic People Enjoying Life) for those individuals and families struggling with mental illness.