As workers return to their offices and “the new normal,” here are suggestions for keeping them centered.

Buffy Naylor, Senior Managing Editor

May 3, 2022

6 Slides

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And while Dr. Fauci assures us the U.S. is not currently in a pandemic phase from coronavirus, Americans continue to struggle with a different, hidden pandemic: mental illness.

Every day, nearly 53 million Americans struggle to live with a mental illness, according to the CDC. That’s approximately 20% of the U.S. population. And according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the pandemic had severe and long-lasting mental and emotional effects, particularly among young adults and marginalized populations.

Nearly two in five adults (40%) struggled with mental health issues in 2020, compared to about one in five (20%) before the pandemic. NAMI reports that among people with mental illness, only 46% received treatment in 2020. The number is far lower for Black Americans (37%) Hispanics (35%) and Asian Americans (21%).

The crisis is especially acute among youth and young adults, as trends predating the pandemic have become even more ominous. In 2020, 75% of people aged 18–24 reported at least one mental health or substance use concern. In 2021, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts were 51% higher among adolescent girls than in 2020.

The American Psychiatric Association’s Center for Workplace Mental Health has some tips to help employers and employees elevate mental health and well-being for a resilient workplace.

Scroll through the gallery above to see a few of their suggestions on keeping centered as they come to grips with “the new normal.”

Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Buffy Naylor or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Read more about:

AgentsMSPs

About the Author(s)

Buffy Naylor

Senior Managing Editor, Channel Futures

Buffy Naylor is senior managing editor of Channel Futures. Prior to joining Informa (then VIRGO) in 2008, she was an award-winning copywriter and editor, then senior manager of corporate communications for an international leisure travel corporation and, before that, in charge of creative development and copywriting for a boutique marketing and public relations agency.

Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now

You May Also Like