PULSE POINTS
BY JOSH CORMAN
The Pandemic ’ s Impact on Mental Health
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR , the effects of COVID-19 have been plain to see . From face masks to plexiglass dividers to “ curbside pick up only ” signs hanging in the windows of restaurants , reminders of the ways that our society has had to change to combat this disease are more or less everywhere . But there is also a vast set of less visible effects that public health officials and other healthcare professionals have frequently referred to as a second pandemic , the impact of which may well linger beyond our return to maskless outings and in-person dining . This second pandemic is the result of the toll that COVID-19 has taken on our collective mental health and well-being . Many spa industry leaders have endured the effects of this second pandemic themselves as they faced the stress of reopening their spas or businesses . They ’ ve also supported teams weighed down by the uncertainty and mental strain of returning to work under testing conditions , balancing family and household needs and simply living through an unprecedented and ever-evolving event .
Now , thanks to recent research from the American Psychological Association ( APA ), we have a firmer than ever grasp on exactly how damaging COVID-19 has been to both mental health and lifestyle habits of people in the United States .
According to the American Psychological Association , 75 percent of U . S . adults who reported a high level of stress during the pandemic ( rating their stress level eight or higher on a scale from eight to 10 ) also reported undesired weight changes occurring in that time . Those high-stress individuals were also likelier to report sleeping more or less than they wanted ( 84 percent ), drinking more alcohol to cope with stress ( 38 percent ) and being less physically active than they wanted to be ( 63 percent ). All of those figures were significantly higher for those experiencing high levels of stress than those reporting lower levels . Despite these corrosive effects on Americans ’ health , the APA ’ s study shows that many are nevertheless neglecting their own health care , with nearly half ( 47 percent ) saying that they delayed or
40 PULSE ■ JUNE 2021