Nueces County counselors give tips for coping with mental health during pandemic
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The coronavirus pandemic wears on, and so does its toll on people’s mental health as they navigate isolation, stress, anxiety and grief.
Experts expect increases in suicide and substance abuse linked to rising unemployment in Texas during the pandemic — more than 5,000 suicides and 4,700 drug overdose deaths if the jobless rate exceeds 20%. That’s according to recent estimates by Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, which is conducting a comprehensive mental health study for Nueces County.
Though psychiatric hospitalizations are not expected to increase, the institute says, there may be a need for greater capacity of community services.
Some people may be particularly vulnerable to stress and a sense of lost control during the pandemic, said Linda Fraser, director of clinical services and utilization management for NCMHID. Those include people out of work, those who are homeless and those with marriage or family issues.
Read the full story from the Corpus Christi Caller Times.