PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, especially in young people and women, according to the World Health Organization.
What affects our mental health? Why are young people struggling? And what can be done to help them?
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Mental Health America is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental wellness, while helping to address the needs of people living with mental illness. They analyzed data recently from the 6.3 million Americans who, in 2022, took a mental health screening available on their website.
"Our youth in particular are really really struggling. All those youth who took a screen for depression, about half of them are telling us that they are frequently thinking about suicide," said Schroeder Stribling, president and CEO of Mental Health America.
She says that, while there have been many advancements in mental health awareness in recent years, access to resources is still lacking.
"There are lots of reasons for difficulty with access," she said. "Some of them have to do with insurance and insurance coverage. And if you're in crisis, then accessing help has also been difficult, especially during these years."
In this episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth, we talk about how the pandemic affected mental health, some of the key findings from that screening data, and some resources available for people who are struggling.
Check out the full conversation with Schroeder Stribling below
