There have been few moments in the country and the world’s recent history when we have collectively grieved for so many. Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly . 00,000 Americans have died, and over 3,500,000 people have died around the world. The dead are our family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and all are mourned. Recent data suggest that 33%of Americans know someone who died during Covid-19; that would be a total of about one hundred million Americans who are, in the moment, grieving personal losses, grief that in and of itself has implications for their health.
As we look past a global pandemic and move to rebuilding, the first step is acknowledging and recognizing the grief of many. This starts with our personal lives, in the opportunities we have to share grief with loved ones, and to acknowledge and make space for the sadness of the moment.
Beyond sadness, the science on the mental health consequences of grief should be sobering. In a study conducted in 2014, it was shown that the bereavement period is linked with greater risk of new onset of multiple psychiatric disorders, regardless of when the grief happens during the life course. We already know that with Covid-19 there has been a dramatic increase in anxiety or depressive disorders, with roughly four in 10 adults in the US reporting symptoms, an increase from one in 10 in January through June of 2019.
Read the full post on The Turning Point.