While everyone may not contract COVID-19, everyone’s mental well-being has been affected in some way by the pandemic. In addition to clinical mental health, many are experiencing loneliness, grief, and anger – whether from job loss, disconnection from family and social networks, or from societal inequities and COVID’s disproportionate impact on communities of color. Recent data reveals that adults experiencing signs of serious mental illness have increased eight-fold from 3.4% in 2018 to 28% during the pandemic. Young people are also being impacted during a crucial period of their development – missing their teachers and friends, and big life milestones.
This meeting will examine the increase in mental health challenges as a result of COVID-19 and how we address near-term needs while building support systems to thrive in a post-pandemic world.