For the past year or so, people have been dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their physical and mental health, finances, and personal lives. The reality is that even though the world slowly started going back to normal, we're not quite there. We continue to see the ramifications of the pandemic, especially within the mental health space. What about the effect of the pandemic on families?
Families continue to experience social, emotional, and economic ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes marital discord, mental health concerns among children, and other stressful circumstances. To help combat these ramifications, NorthStar Transitions has increased its family treatment to help families regain normalcy in a post-pandemic world. Your family can regain their footing today through family skills groups, residential and outpatient programs, and alumni groups.
Millions of people were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic and what it had in store. Families were put in a particularly vulnerable position with the closing of schools and loss of jobs. Many parents felt increased stress about providing for their families. Children struggled with the abnormality of not going to school and spending time with friends.
The pandemic also significantly impacted education. Schools attempted to take learning online, and it was successful for most. However, the lack of reliable technology, access to technology, or other necessary resources made education a profound concern and frustration for many kids and parents.
Family functioning was considerably impaired because of the pandemic, and this is only one way the pandemic harmed families. The loss of the lives of family, friends, and other loved ones, not to mention the fear of contracting COVID-19, also took a toll on families.
For what felt like a lifetime, families struggled to find a glimmer of hope, and unfortunately, many continue struggling today.
Another way the pandemic profoundly impacted families is the loss of jobs or inability to work. Several companies and organizations had the potential to transition to telework, which for some, was a benefit. However, not all jobs can be done from home.
For example, nurses, doctors, and other essential workers were essentially forced to continue working throughout the pandemic. Day in and day out, healthcare workers directly dealt with COVID-19.
Worst of all, many of these individuals did not return home at the end of a shift. With the fear of transferring the virus to their family members, some isolated themselves to contain anything they may have contracted during a shift. This was emotionally taxing for parents and the children.
Unfortunately, many were also out of a job because of the pandemic or struggled to find work during this time. This made providing for a family exceptionally difficult. The inability to provide led to guilt, shame, depression, and other complex emotions that impacted the world's mental health.
Speaking of mental and emotional health, many people are still experiencing a decline in their well-being because of the pandemic. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), half of Americans experienced anxiety and depression in 2021. Rates of substance use disorders (SUD) also increased since the start of the pandemic.
Unfortunately, these increases in mental health conditions continue to impact families today. People are doing what they can to improve their mental health. Parents are continuing to get or stay sober, maintain their depression, or ease their continued anxieties. However, there is only so much people can do on their own.
Parental mental health can have a lasting influence on children. For that reason, seeking professional mental health treatment is vital for many parents and children. Individual therapy and family counseling may help your family return to some level of post-pandemic normalcy. When mental health improves, all aspects of life are positively impacted.
NorthStar Transitions offers several treatment options for mental health and addiction treatment. These include:
Services like the ones above can help you and provide healing for your family as well. The effect of the pandemic on families may have also put you in a difficult place with increased tension. NorthStar Transitions can help families by:
There are many post-pandemic circumstances we can't control. Fortunately, mental health treatment can help people heal from the long-term effects of the pandemic on families.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a terrifying and disorienting time for a number of people because of its vast physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial ramifications. Unfortunately, millions still struggle with these ramifications even though many aspects of life are returning to normal. There were also many harmful effects of the pandemic on families. It left lasting mental and emotional concerns for parents and children, leaving unforeseen consequences within family units. If that includes your family, you may feel stuck right now. Know that you are not alone and that help is available. NorthStar Transitions has increased its family treatment offerings to help families regain their footing post-pandemic. To learn about these services, reach out to us at (303) 558-6400 today.
