Feeling Anxious and Depressed? That’s the Echo of COVID-19

Health impacts of pandemic were felt first; now, effects of lockdown, social isolation are starting to appear

A depressed looking teen. fizkes/Shutterstock

Weekly surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau from late April through late July offer a grim view of the toll the pandemic has taken on the nation’s mental health. By late July, more than 44 percent of California adult respondents reported levels of anxiety and gloom typically associated with diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder, a stunning figure that rose through the summer months alongside the menacing spread of COVID-19.