Sara Smucker Barnwell

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred an avalanche of mental health issues that have continued to plague the general public over the last 18 months – with the full impact from lingering quarantines, prolonged social distancing, and now the fear over the unknowns of new variants. In fact, nearly 70 percent of working adults say this has been the most stressful time period of their lives.

Consumer demand for mental and behavioral health services reached a fever pitch in 2020. From prolonged social distancing and financial strains, to the burnout of extra caretaking, grief over tremendous loss, and the monotony of working from home, the effects of the pandemic drove many people to seek professional help. Even with the end in sight, many people are struggling to recover from the toll this crisis imposed.

Sara Smucker Barnwell,1 Mitch Earleywine,2 and Rand Wilcox3 Sara Smucker Barnwell 1University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, SGM 501, 3620McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061, USA Mitch Earleywine 2The University at Albany, SUNY, Department of Psychology, Social Sciences 369, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA Rand Wilcox 3University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, SGM 501, 3620McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061, USA Author...