We have two guests for you: one offering insights into research on the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on mental health, and the other giving us the perspective from the field. First up is Rabah Kamal, a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Before COVID-19, about one in five adults in the U.S. reported being worried, anxious, or depressed on a regular basis. Among teenagers, about 12% reported anxiety or depression. And that was before a global pandemic hit. What impact is the pandemic having on mental health? What factors raise the risk of problems? What helps?
Then you’ll hear from Carole Campbell Swiecicki at Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in South Carolina about the mental health impact of the pandemic on her CAC’s clients, her staff, and the CAC’s multidisciplinary team partners.
Topics in this episode:
Links:
Rabah Kamal is a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) which is not related to any health insurance organizations
KFF’s “The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use”
The National Survey of Children’s Health
Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Coping with Stress
Carole Campbell Swiecicki, Ph.D., is executive director of Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center and a clinical assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina
Video diaries appeared in a CBS News story in May 2020
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources; Mental Health and Coping links for individuals; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) COVID-19 resources
Our own COVID-19 resource page is publicly available
For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org. And join us on Facebook at
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