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The long-term stress sustained since the outbreak began has had a significant impact on well-being, evidenced by a significant increase in reported mental health conditions and chronic illnesses, according to the results of the nationwide survey conducted by The Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association (APA) among more than 3,000 US adults age 18 and older.
Those ages 35 to 44 reported the most significant increase in chronic health conditions since COVID arrived — 58 percent in 2023 compared with 48 percent in 2019.
Adults ages 35 to 44 also experienced the highest increase in mental health diagnoses — 45 percent reported a mental illness in 2023 compared with 31 percent in 2019 — though adults ages 18 to 34 still reported the highest rate of mental illnesses at 50 percent in 2023.
Adults ages 35 to 44 were more likely to report that money (77 percent vs. 65 percent) and the economy (74 percent vs. 51 percent) were the factors that caused them significant stress today compared with 2019.
Nearly a quarter of adults (24 percent) rated their average stress between eight and 10 on a scale of one to 10 where one means little to no stress and 10 means a great deal of stress. This is up from 19 percent in 2019, before the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic created a collective experience among Americans," said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, the APA’s chief executive officer. "While the early pandemic lockdowns may seem like the distant past, the aftermath remains.
“We cannot ignore the fact that we have been significantly changed by the loss of more than one million Americans, as well as the shift in our workplaces, school systems, and culture at large.
"To move toward post-traumatic growth, we must first identify and understand the psychological wounds that remain.”
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