More Young Adults Are Suffering From Depression Amid Coronavirus

Engin Akyurt

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. The pandemic and its economic fallout are taking a significant toll on young adults’ mental health.

Many are missing out on internships, study-abroad programs and extracurricular activities, which have been put on hold due to the pandemic.

2. A growing number of college students have reported symptoms of depression in recent months.

The proportion of students rose to 41% from the end of March through May in a survey by the American College Health Association and the Healthy Minds Network, an academic research project. That is up from 35.7% in a Healthy Minds survey from fall 2019.

3. The stress of coronavirus can make existing mental-health problems worse and cause new ones, psychologists say.

“Studies have shown a relationship between unemployment and suicide and unemployment and illicit drug use and unemployment and alcohol use. This teenage and young-adult population is particularly susceptible to those influences,” says Charles B. Nemeroff, professor and chair of the department of psychiatry at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

4. “Pods” can help people cope.

Several psychologists recommend these small groups of friends that people can see without social distancing. They can allow people to meet their needs for social interaction safely. Focusing on what you can control also helps, says psychologist Mary Alvord.

Read the original article by Andrea Petersen here.

Source: WSJ