By April L.

A survey posted after the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization found that 25% of people worldwide had mental health issues and didn’t know how to address them. Mental health can affect a person’s physical health, according to Harvard Health Publishing. In an article published at the height of the pandemic, on August 17, 2021, they noted that 50-80% of people with mental health issues have trouble sleeping. Furthermore, according to a Harvard University survey, 36% of people thought the pandemic was lonely and felt alienating. The stress from the social isolation triggered mental health issues including anxiety and depression. Those who already had mental illnesses as well as those who developed mental health issues were untreated due to the lock-down. It is not surprising, however, that mental health issues have remained unaddressed even after lock-down was lifted. 

Health insurance typically covers doctor check-ups, dentistry, and eye exams. If it covered psychology appointments, then mental health aid would be financially accessible. This first step in normalizing mental wellness could be the spark to create greater physical accessibility, with doctor’s offices ideally partnering with more and more local resources.

One possible local resource could be public schools. Schools occasionally have speech impediment classes for those who need it. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Stress in the family, high parental expectations or other types of pressure can worsen existing stuttering.” I have noticed from personal experience, however, that the speech language pathologists don’t ask about their student’s mental health, such as simply asking how everything is.   
Medical experts have agreed that mental health issues are common. To help normalize this, the health care system needs to change the narrative from treating mental illness, to both treatment and preemptively maintaining mental wellness.

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