A National Alliance of Mental Illness study showed that 64% of people with some sort of mental illness said their conditions get worse during the holiday season.
Pamela Mairs, a licensed psychologist, said the COVID-19 pandemic alone has brought out a lot of mental health illnesses to adults.
“The depression, withdrawal, the anxiety, the fear about the future, hopelessness. Those are sorts of feelings we see with adults,” Mairs said.
Another pandemic-related wrinkle added was how to navigate the invitations of vaccinated and unvaccinated family members for gatherings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance said to limit the number of people and households.
While the CDC recommended mask-wearing for family members who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, national data showed many Americans may not listen this holiday season.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center polled over 2,000 American adults and found that about 50% of hosts will ask their partygoers to wear a mask, which was down from last year’s 67%.
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Nearly half of those same people said they wouldn't ask for vaccination status.
Mairs said to pandemic fatigue is real and put your mental safety at the top of your priorities.
“Feeling depressed and irritable and exhausted. They may be struggling with employment, trying to keep their kids in school. Things are happening they're experiencing all at the same time,” she said.
The CDC said for Thanksgiving and beyond to avoid those highly crowded, indoor spaces, especially with poor ventilation. If you are sick don't attend gatherings.