The Second Pandemic: Mental Health

By Terri L. Rhodes, CCMP, CLMS, CPDM, MBA

CEO
DMEC

Since 1949, May has been designated as mental health awareness month. You might ask why we need to designate a month to be aware of mental health issues. Frankly, it is because we do not do a very good job in recognizing and normalizing mental health issues. This month gives us an opportunity to take a hard look at the negative attitudes, prejudices, and discrimination that occurs, not only in the workplace, but in our communities when mental health issues arise. I recently saw a phrase that I felt was so powerful as we continue to address stigma: choose empowerment over shame.

We were at a mental health tipping point prior to the pandemic, and it will be wise for employers to get ahead of the tidal wave or “second pandemic” about to hit the workforce when we get to the “next normal”. Currently 40% of U.S. adults report struggling with mental health issues associated with the pandemic, as reported by Optum between August and January of this year. The big sleeper issues will be PTSD and latent grief.

Despite the many advantages of remote work, it has caused isolation and increased mental health problems for employees. Anxiety and depression have exploded. 41% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder in January 2021, compared to 11% from January to June 2019.¹ Deaths of despair due to drugs, alcohol, and suicide are projected to increase by at least 27,644, and up to 154,000, depending on the pace of the economic recovery from the pandemic.²

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