Information You Need: Mental Health during a Pandemic
Mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse are on the rise in Arizona and throughout the United States. According to a poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in April, roughly half (45%) of Americans reported that the pandemic is negatively impacting their mental health. David Sbarra, a University of Arizona psychologist, answered questions on how the pandemic may be impacting mental health. Visit this link for more information.
A pandemic presents us all with many unknowns and uncertainty. Further, isolation, trauma, and other stressors (e.g., financial) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic can be harmful to mental health and overall wellbeing. Prioritizing mental health is always important, but is especially crucial under the current circumstances with many people experiencing grief at the loss of community, employment, or other significant life changes. Remember to check on yourself, your family, and friends as we all try to navigate these unprecedented times together.
It is important to remember that stress due to the pandemic continues to affect people in different ways and to varying degrees. Groups that are more vulnerable to stress during a crisis include:
- Essential workers (including frontline health workers)
- Children and young adults
- Those belonging to certain racial and ethnic minority groups
- People with existing mental health conditions or substance use disorders
- People with underlying medical conditions
- Socially isolated individuals (including those who live alone)
- Individuals with disabilities
- Those experiencing changes in employment
- People experiencing homelessness
- Individuals living in group settings
- People lacking access to information in their primary language
- Those without access to healthcare or health services
Be sure to also watch for mental health warning signs in yourself and others. These can include excessive worrying or fear, feeling sad or low, and recent changes in habits or behaviors (sleeping, eating, socializing, mood). For more mental health warning signs, please visit this link.
Below are resources for addressing mental health concerns:
- If you feel that you or another person is in immediate danger because of their mental distress, call 911.
- In March, Arizona launched a 2-1-1 hotline to provide statewide COVID-19 counseling.
Crisis / Disaster | |
Arizona: Aurora Behavioral Health: Call at 877-870-7012 Resilient Arizona: Call 2-1-1- for COVID-19 crisis counseling Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-8255 (press 1) Be Connected (Veterans): Call 1-866-4AZ-VETS (429-8387) | National: Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish), or text TalkWithUs for English or Hablanos for Spanish to 66746. Spanish speakers from Puerto Rico can text Hablanos to 1-787-339-2663. Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Chat or text: 8388255 Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event |
Abuse and Assault | |
Arizona: Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence: Call 602-279-2980 Arizona Child Abuse Hotline: Call 1-888-SOS-CHILD (767-2445) | National: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522 National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4AChild (1-800-422-4453) or text 1-800-422-4453 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or Online Chat |
Children and Young Adults | |
Arizona: Teen Lifeline: Call or text 602-248-TEEN (8336) | National: Helping Children Cope during an COVID-19 Outbreak Helping Children Cope with Emergencies Teen Depression |
Suicide | |
Arizona: Mercy Care (Maricopa County): Call 1-800-631-1314 or 602-222-9444 Complete Health (Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruiz, and Yuma counties): Call 1-866-495-6735 Health Choice Arizona (Apache, Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai counties): Call 1-877-756-4090 Gila River and Ak-Chin Indian Communities: Call 1-800-259-3449 Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian communities: Call 1-855-331-6432 | National: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs Five Action Steps for Communicating with Someone Who May Be Suicidal |
Substance Use Disorder | |
Arizona: Arizona Substance Abuse Helpline: Call (866) 857-5777 Arizona Addiction Recovery Center: Call (602) 346-9130 | National: SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) Treatment Services Locator Website Interactive Map of Selected Federally Qualified Health Centers |
High Risk Groups | |
Arizona: COVID-19 Hotline: Call 2-1-1 | National: Serious Illness Care Program COVID-19 Response Toolkit Healthcare Personnel and First Responders: How to Cope with Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Responders: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself Disaster Technical Assistance Center (SAMHSA) Employees: How to Cope with Job Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic |