Follow-up Survey of US Adult Reports of Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic, September 2020

Source:

Czeisler MÉ, Lane RI, Wiley JF, Czeisler CA, Howard ME, Rajaratnam SMW. Follow-up Survey of US Adult Reports of Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic, September 2020. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(2):e2037665. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37665

Discussion

In a later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020), the prevalence of adverse mental health symptoms among US adults remained elevated compared with prepandemic estimates.1,2 This finding contradicts the notion that adverse mental health symptoms were transient, self-limiting responses. Despite increased COVID-19–related morbidity and mortality risk,4 adverse mental health symptoms among older adults remained less prevalent.1,2,5,6 Although quota sampling and survey weighting were used, internet-based survey samples are limited and may not fully represent the 2020 US population.1 Nonetheless, evidence of sustained adverse mental health symptoms among more than 5000 community-dwelling US adults highlights the need to promote preventive behaviors, expand mental health care access, and integrate medical and behavioral health services to mitigate the mental health effects of COVID-19.