MedPage Today (5/23, Monaco) reports, “Fewer Americans are anxious about the COVID-19 pandemic,” data from “the annual Healthy Minds Poll” indicate. In fact, “about half of adults in the U.S. reported pandemic-related anxiety – down from 65% in 2021 and 75% in 2020, the poll, which was released at the” American Psychiatric Association 2022 Annual Meeting, showed. Nevertheless, “‘while the overall level of concern has dropped, still four in 10 parents are worried about how their children are doing, and a third are having issues with access to care,’ said Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and medical director of the APA, in a statement” released May 22.
According to Medscape (5/23, Brooks, Subscription Publication), meanwhile, “‘it’s not surprising that recent events, such as the war in Ukraine, racially motivated mass shootings, or the impacts of climate change, are weighing heavily on Americans’ minds,’ APA President Vivian Pender, MD, said in a news release.” Dr. Pender added, “COVID-19 in a way has taken a backseat, but the pandemic and its mental health effects are very much still with us.” For that reason, “it’s important that we are cognizant of that and continue to work to ensure people who need psychiatric care, whether the causes are tied to the pandemic or to other issues, can access it.”
Healio (5/23) reports, “Sixty percent of working adults reported knowing how to access mental health services through their employer in 2022, down from 71% in 2021, the 2022 Healthy Minds poll” also revealed. A separate but related Healio (5/23, Downey) article also covers other aspects of the poll.
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