report published by the CDC in August of this year highlights adverse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders were significantly higher in the United States from April-June of this year, compared to 2019, indicating that the increase is due in part to the challenges related to COVID-19. The CDC assessed mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation with representative panel surveys on a sample of over five thousand adults 18 and older across the United States. Of the sample, 40.9% of participants reported at least “one adverse mental or behavioral health condition,” such as symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder (30.9%) and having started or increased substance use in order to “cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19” (13.3%). The percentage of respondents who reported seriously considering suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey (10.7%) was higher among younger respondents, Latinx or Black respondents, unpaid caregivers for adults, and essential workers. The report suggests community-level intervention and prevention efforts to specifically target these groups in order to address various mental health conditions associated with COVID-19.

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