As of July 16, 2022, people have only to press three digits, 988, to reach the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline when they need help during a mental health crisis.
Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression were a leading cause of global health problems even before the spread of COVID-19; however, they’ve gotten worse. Since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression rates worldwide have increased by an overwhelming 25%. In the U.S., 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic, compared with 1 in 10 from January to June 2019.
