•March 3, 2021•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

From wearing masks to social distancing, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes to our lives in the past year. While some social distancing is good, don’t let that turn into complete isolation from others.
According to kff.org, during the pandemic, about four in 10 adults in the United States have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, a share that has been largely consistent, up from one in 10 adults who reported those symptoms from January to June 2019. A KFF Health Tracking Poll from July 2020 also found that many adults are reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance abuse (12%) and worsening chronic conditions (12%) due to worry and stress over the coronavirus.
Dave Cole, director of the Moultrie County Counseling Center, said that statistically there has been a rise in mental health concerns and substance abuse due to the coronavirus. “I feel that it is a very big concern that the longer COVID continues it becomes an ongoing issue,” he said.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.