Rising mental health concerns in the coronavirus era
This is part of our Coronavirus Update series in which Harvard specialists in epidemiology, infectious disease, economics, politics, and other disciplines offer insights into what the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak may bring. Since mid-March, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has hosted a weekly online forum on mental health topics. At first, audiences were modest, but as the COVID crisis has grown, attendance has swelled, with the April 8 bereavement session drawing 700 people. Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at the Chan School, said she’s heard similar reports from colleagues around the country. “People are really reaching out for information about mental health,” she said. The toll on Americans is becoming both palpable and quantifiable. Koenan, who spoke on a media conference call Thursday, cited a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey in which 19 percent of respondents said the current crisis has had a “major impact” on their mental...