It is fair to say that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on all our lives. It has certainly seen people’s mental health suffer around the US in the last 12 months or so. This has seen people with existing mental health issues notice a deterioration in their condition and people who have not suffered from mental health problems before become affected by them. Why is this?
What have been the mental health implications of COVID-19 – and why?
When you look at the stats, the effect of COVID-19 is clear. For the period January to June 2019, for example, 11% of adults in the US reported feeling anxious or depressed. This figure had shot up to 41.1% in January 2021!
In terms of the most common mental health implications that the pandemic has delivered, stress, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression are high on the list. As a result, people now are picking up on the signs that it is time to see a psychotherapist more so than ever before.
What lies behind these rising health issues? For young people, it appears that worries over the impact of COVID-19 on their education, job prospects and future is the main driver. For others in society, the prospect of job losses due to the economic impact of COVID-19 is a big worry. Isolation linked to measures to prevent spread the virus have also been a big danger to mental health.
What does this mean for the US health sector?
What does COVID-19 mean for the health sector? It would seem sensible to assume that this sector in the US will actually see an increased demand for its services. This will be from the additional number of people who now experience mental health issues because of COVID-19. As a result, the demand for people in healthcare professional roles such as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner should soar.
How can you break into these kinds of healthcare roles?
The rising need for healthcare professionals in the future means that it is a good career option to consider right now. As COVID-19 has seen mental health issues (and other issues related to this) soar, it is a career path that should offer good job security.
The sheer range of jobs on offer makes it an interesting field to enter – you may, for example, train to become a psychiatric registered nurse, a mental health counselor or a psychiatrist. The key is to get the right qualifications behind you first. Online PMHNP programs are essential if you want to work as a psychiatric mental health nurse, and studying for the right qualification is needed in most other roles. If you are looking at the best place to study courses such as the online PMHNP, then Wilkes University is a superb option. Wilkes not only offers world-class learning to those wanting to enter healthcare but also awesome support to its students.
COVID-19 has impacted mental health in the US
Mental health has definitely suffered in general due to the pandemic over the last 12 months or so. The resulting need for healthcare professionals means that this sector will be more important than ever as we move forward.
Photo by Fernando @cferdo on Unsplash
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