Morneau Shepell, a North American leader in integrated HR solutions, announced that Americans are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic fallout. Morneau Shepell’s new Mental Health Index shows that a significant majority (75 percent) of respondents report the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health, while 96 percent of respondents say they have experienced some type of personal disruption.
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The Mental Health Index also shows half of the people experiencing disruption (48 percent) believe that they will be able to cope, while another 27 percent indicate greater concern and uncertainly regarding their ability to cope. About half of those individuals reported experiencing a very negative impact or crisis. In April, Americans had a mental health score of 67, compared to the benchmark of 75. That places the typical American at the same level as the lowest seventh percent of the standard benchmark, indicating a population in distress. The eight-point drop in mental health is unparalleled during the three-year period in which Morneau Shepell collected benchmark data.
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Data from April demonstrated significant declines in levels of mental health and ability to cope with notably lower scores for: anxiety (-11.6 points), depression (-10.2 points), optimism (-8.9 points) work productivity (-8.7 points) and isolation (-7.9 points). Those who were employed within the previous six months but are not currently, those who identify as female, those with three or more children and those between 30-39 years of age reported the largest increases in stress. Similarly, households with annual incomes between $60K to <$100K experienced the greatest stress increases in April compared to other income groups. States registering the highest increases in stress month over month include Washington, North Carolina, Illinois, New York and Virginia.
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