Mental health issues among top concerns in US adults

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Fresh data from the CDC's 2019–2021 National Health Interview Survey shows that approximately 22% of US adults received mental health treatments in 2021, an increase from about 19% just two years earlier, according to Axios. 

This surge in mental health problems is seen through the jump in the percentage of adults, ages 18 to 44, who either took medication for mental health or received counseling as a form of therapy. The start of the incline corresponds with the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse said: "The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated numerous social stressors that we know can increase the risk of both substance use and mental illness, alongside substantial changes to the illicit drug supply". 

The financial burdens of the pandemic, alongside the rising death rates, unemployment, and alarming increase in domestic violence contributed to the hike in mental health disorders in both adults and youth.

In October 2021, a group of pediatricians and other experts declared children's mental health challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic a "national emergency", as they called on policymakers to address the crisis which was triggered by prolonged isolation, uncertainty, and grief during the pandemic.

This also corresponds with increasingly open discussions and acceptance in pop culture and sports when it comes to mental health challenges. 

Read more: Ways to Keep Your Mental Health in Check