NEW STUDY EXAMINES LONELINESS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG U.S. YOUNG ADULTS DURING COVID-19 Written by Amanda Torres Published on December 9, 2020 Category: Faculty, Research Staff, Alumna, Research As the COVID-19 pandemic converged with the loneliness and addiction epidemics in the United States this year, public health and mental health experts forecast increases in substance use and mental health conditions.
and drug use among young adults during COVID-19. The findings — published in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs — underscore the importance of prevention and intervention to address these public health challenges.
In a new study led by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, public health experts found that there have been elevated levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety, alcohol use,
“Our study highlights two main findings,” said study lead author Viviana E. Horigian, M.D., M.H.A., professor in the Miller School’s Department of Public Health Sciences. “The first is
that loneliness and mental health conditions are elevated in young adults following the onset of the pandemic in the U.S. Second, that these increases in loneliness, depression, anxiety and substance abuse are related. We believe that addressing mental health and substance use problems in young adults, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, is imperative.” Between April 22 and May 11, 2020, co-authors of the study recruited
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