Doctors at Atrium Health discuss mental toll pandemic has on people

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This week is suicide prevention week, and officials said during a pandemic, everyone needs to look out for one another.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reported 53% of people said this pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health.

Another alarming static from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that almost three times as many people considered suicide in June than that same time two years ago. That means more than 1 in every 10 people considered it.

During the pandemic, millions of people have lost their jobs, thousands have said goodbye to loved ones forever and others are just struggling with isolation and change.

On Wednesday, doctors at Atrium Health talked about the mental toll.

“For some people, it’s really difficult to be physically away from people. You have this physical isolation but also mental. Even social distancing, maintain distance from each other,” said Dr. Rodney Villanueva, a psychiatrist with Atrium Health.

Those at Atrium Health said to save lives, everyone must work together. They said people don’t have to get licensed in mental health and the biggest thing someone can do is just listen.

“The first this is to approach them and to recognize that you see that they are having troubles. You see that they seem more sad. You see that they seem more isolated or that they seem more angry, or that they are really struggling. And I think, not to brush it off, but be aware of the signs that someone is in trouble and approach them about it,” Villanueva said.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call Atrium Health’s 24-hour help line at 704-444-2400.

Tips from professionals on managing mental health during coronavirus outbreak Tips from professionals on managing mental health during coronavirus outbreak

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