Introduction
The Covid-19 outbreak has brought the entire world to a standstill in a matter of mere months. The pandemic is an unprecedented public health disaster that has claimed millions of lives and harmed major economic sectors across the globe. At the moment, the virus has killed 2.8 million people and affected more than 124 million more, with 100 million especially recovered from the disease (“COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic”). Every country in the world has taken measures to contain the spread. The Covid-19 policies have been especially strict in the United States, a country with a record number of cases and a concerning infection rate growth. Measures included shutting down businesses, diverting studies and work activities to online, and canceling mass events. While these steps are well-justified, isolation is taking a toll on Americans’ mental health.
Mental well-being is sensitive to traumatic events, especially if they involve a certain degree of uncertainty. For example, after September 11, 2001, many people found themselves severely depressed and had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Nandi 305). The Covid-19 outbreak cost many people their employment, cut off social ties, and separated friends and families. From my personal experience, I can confidently say that the last year has been a difficult one for me. The same goes for my friends and family who also experienced a decrease in their quality of life. They shared with me their feelings of fear and anxiety, especially given that no-one can tell when the pandemic is going to end. These personal experiences prompted me to research the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the mental health of the American population. I expect to learn some numbers and figures regarding mental health issues at scale and learn about people’s personal struggles with the mental toll of the pandemic.
Annotated Bibliography
Ducharme, Jamie. “COVID-19 Is Making America’s Loneliness Epidemic Even Worse.” Time, Web.
Summary
Ducharme argues that loneliness had been a problem in American society even before the pandemic, and the Covid-19 outbreak only made it worse. The author cites statistical reports showing that the US has never had as many single-person households as now. In the 1960s, only 17% of households had one person, but now it is every fourth household (28%) (Ducharme). People living alone are the most vulnerable to feelings of loneliness and detachment. However, living with someone might not be the solution either becomes some people report being lonely despite sharing a home with a partner and children (Ducharme). Technology is not a way out either: while it helps older people feel connected, it often causes the fear of missing out in younger people. Ducharme argues that loneliness should become a public health concern because it affects mental and physical health.
Rhetorical Analysis
Ducharme’s article is aimed at broad audiences because it mixes storytelling with objective facts and figures, which shows that the author knows how to use ethos and pathos in her writing. The former makes the article more credible because it supports her claims with actual real-world data. As for pathos, Ducharme follows a middle-aged woman’s trip across the neighborhood and shows her life through her eyes to appeal to the reader’s empathy. I think the author’s goal is to show that loneliness is a serious problem that requires more attention from the government and healthcare professionals. Also, the article is relatable, so it could be that it is written to help people feel less alone in their struggles. I agree with the article, especially the argument that living alone is a double-edged sword. It gives you a lot of peace and independence but makes you vulnerable in the time of crisis. I would be curious to learn why people with big families feel lonely during the pandemic because this finding is very counterintuitive.
Quote
“This is a huge topic, but it’s been kind of sidelined. Now everyone is forced to look at this in a different way. We can’t keep ignoring this” (Ducharme).
Ettman, Catherine K., et al. “Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in US Adults before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 3, no. 9, 2020, pp. 1-12.
Summary
In this article, Ettman et al. discuss the prevalence of depression symptoms in US adults prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and during it. The authors used the AmeriSpeak standing panel to recruit approximately 1,500 US adults representative of 97% of US households (2). To have a frame of reference, Ettman et al. utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that also assessed the mental state of US adults from all fifty states and the District of Columbia (2). Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire. In addition to that, Ettman et al. identified COVID-19-specific stressors, such as financial struggles, death of a close person due to Covid-19, and loss of employment (2). When Ettman et al. compared the two datasets, they discovered that since the beginning of the pandemic, depression rates have increased threefold. Participants from low-income households were at a bigger risk of becoming depressed than people from high-income households.
Rhetorical Analysis
Ettman et al. have knowledgeable experts, such as doctors and policymakers, as their target audience. The goal of their article is to understand whether Americans became more depressed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It seems like this source uses objective measures to understand the problem. It is also written by medical doctors and holders of advanced degrees, which adds to the credibility of findings. I find that my experience is consistent with what the article says. Indeed, the Covid-19 has been a challenge, and the figures only show the scale of its harmful impact. Perhaps, the article would benefit from more information on how different genders or races react to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Quote
“It seems important to recognize the potential for the mental health consequences of COVID-19 to be large in scale, to recognize that these effects can be long-lasting, and to consider preventative action to help mitigate its effects” (Ettman et al. 12).
Willis Towers Watson. Infographic: Employees Struggle with Stress, Anxiety or Depression during COVID-19. 2020, Web.
Summary
The infographic is created by Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory and solution company. With this infographic, the authors take a look at the mental health issues of US employees during the pandemic. It appears that 90% of employees experience at least some anxiety, while 55% report severe levels of anxiety. Apparently, certain demographics are struggling more than others: for example, Gen-Z-ers are three times more likely to be under significant stress due to the Covid-19 outbreak than other generations. Other vulnerable groups include LGBT, disabled, and low-income employees. Willis Tower Watson found that one remedy against work stress is strong connections at work. Employees who receive timely help are more engaged in the work process and take fewer days off. To reach out to vulnerable employees, it is important that the company has a culture that values employees’ mental health and well-being. The authors suggest that employers start taking these issues more seriously and improve employees’ access to mental health services.
Rhetorical Analysis
The source has a clear goal of explaining the gravity of the issue to employers who may not be very understanding of their employees’ struggles. However, I do not think that employers are the only target audience of this infographic – it could be anyone interested in the topic or experiencing these issues themselves. The source says that the findings are based on Willis Towers Watson Employee Norm Database, but it is unclear how many people were surveyed and how. Therefore, I do have some doubts about the credibility of the source because I do not know whether it represents broader US populations. I agree with the findings and can imagine how stressful it is to work amidst the pandemic when one is risking their health and employment. I would like the authors to elaborate more on why some demographics experience higher levels of stress than others.
Quote
“Develop and implement a holistic solution to address all sources of employee stress” (Willis Tower Watson).
Conclusion
My research has confirmed my hypothesis that the Covid-19 must have had a detrimental effect on the American population’s well-being. Before the pandemic, there had already been a trend toward living single and not sharing households with anyone. Hence, when the pandemic started, many people found themselves locked alone in their houses and feeling lonely. Loneliness is a painful sensation and can occur even in people who live with their families. At that, technology does not always help with keeping people connected. It is not surprising that after the Covid-19 outbreak, the depression rates in the US have increased threefold. As it often happens with natural and manmade disasters, it is low-income households that felt the most depressed. The Covid-19 outbreak changed working conditions and cost many people their jobs. Yet, even those who did not lose employment were stressed out. Research shows that the overwhelming majority of employees experience anxiety.
During this research, I learned that some of the mental health issues that became acute during the pandemic were not caused by it alone. For example, loneliness had been a major social issue in the US prior to the Covid-19 outbreak and sheltering in place and lockdowns only made it worse. It is important to understand because only studying these factors can show how badly a community will suffer in case of a natural disaster. It seems that overall, preventive measures help combat mental health issues. The infographic showed that companies with an established culture of help could support their employees adequately. However, such a culture does not emerge overnight, which implies that companies should do a better job catering to their employees’ mental health needs.
I think this research could be of interest to those who have loved ones struggling with stress and anxiety. They could become more aware of the mental health pandemic that goes along with the Covid-19 pandemic and reach out to their family and friends. Another group of people who could use these findings is policymakers and doctors. The findings could guide their decisions about improving access to mental health services. The same goes for employers who might be underestimating the levels of stress their employees are experiencing. The research could help them become more humane and think of how they could make their employees’ lives a little bit easier.
Works Cited
“COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.” Worldometer, 2021, Web.
Ducharme, Jamie. “COVID-19 Is Making America’s Loneliness Epidemic Even Worse.” Time, 2020, Web.
Ettman, Catherine K., et al. “Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in US Adults before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 3, no. 9, 2020, pp. 1-12.
Nandi, Arijit, et al. “Probable Cigarette Dependence, PTSD, and Depression after an Urban Disaster: Results from a Population Survey of New York City Residents 4 Months after September 11, 2001.” Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, vol. 68, no. 4, 2005, pp. 299-310.
Willis Towers Watson. Infographic: Employees Struggle with Stress, Anxiety or Depression during COVID-19. 2020, Web.