Officials say the pandemic has led to an even bigger rise in mental health issues.
(WFSB) – Officials say the pandemic has led to an even bigger rise in mental health issues.
The Centers for Disease Control now says 50 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.
For families who have lost loved ones to mental health issues, the pain never goes away.
“I wish almost every day I could wake up and have her with me.”
Martha Thomas lost her daughter Ella to suicide in 2018. She was just 24 years old.
Her family is hoping to spark a national conversation about it, to hopefully help others.
Ella’s father spoke before a House subcommittee hearing on the national mental health crisis.
“We will work to make sure what happened to Ella doesn’t happen to others,” said Chris Thomas.
Psychiatrists testifying before that committee said the pandemic has exacerbated depression, anxiety and substance abuse problems that were already at crisis levels.
“Samhsa’s national survey on drug use and health showed that substance abuse disorders fully doubled in 2020 from pre pandemic 2019 data. A 100 percent increase,” said Elinore McCance-Katz, former Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, HHS.
The CDC’s latest report on mental health shows more than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.
Senate lawmakers have announced an effort to put together bipartisan legislation this summer to address unmet mental health needs.
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