Young Americans, Depressed and Lonely Amid Pandemic

Several months have passed since the worldwide pandemic was announced. The activities we can do were limited, monitored, and less strenuous. The lockdown was soon announced, and the security even inside our fences and lawns were at risk for having the disease. The stress and fear have crawled through our heads, causing us to feel helpless. The pandemic had a grave effect on everyone's mental health. But what is more alarming is it also affected the youth's creative minds and the children.

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Over 1,000 people aging from 18 to 35 years old took part in an anonymous questionnaire online that happened on the 22^nd of April until the 11^th of May 2020. According to WebMD, the survey results reported that nearly half had high levels of loneliness, eight in 10 have remarkable depressive symptoms, and more than 60% reported moderate or severe anxiety.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the coronavirus's pandemic could be really stressful for some people because fear and anxiety regarding the novel disease can be devastating and trigger robust emotions in children and adults. They added that public health protocols such as social distancing could make certain people feel secluded and lonely, increasing anxiety and stress. Even though stressful, CDC emphasized that these protocols should still be observed.

The survey also further said that 30% were reported to have harmful drinking levels, 22% of the participants used drugs, and 38% reported severe drug use.

Pandemic's Impact

According to WebMD, when the pandemic's impact was taken into account, the researcher found out that depression, loneliness, and anxiety had each increased by about 60 percent. Overall, the researchers were able to detect a 53 percent increase in lack of connectedness, a 48 percent increase in alcohol use, and a 44% increase in drug use.

What is mental health, and why are young adults most affected?

According to MentalHealth.gov, mental health includes the emotional, psychological, and social well-being that influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions. They added that this domain helps determine how an individual handles stress, relationship with others, and decisions. In a journal news release, University of Miami professor and lead author of the study, Viviana Horigian, said that mental health care for young adults is critical during and after the pandemic. She added in the interview that COVID-19's merging with loneliness and addiction epidemics in the United States is here to stay.

Stanford Children's Health stresses that depression in children, teens, and young adults is more than just a growing phase. They added that they are susceptible to this condition because they feel powerless against certain situations.

According to Horigian, young Americans are the future of the nation's social fabric. She emphasized that they need to have access to psychological help simultaneously with the progression and promulgation of short online contact-based interventions that inspire a healthy lifestyle. It is very saddening that the pandemic limited the activities we can do concerning our anxiety and depression. COVID-19 has already caused so much damage, including the health of our minds.

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