Table of ContentsTable of ContentsExpandFinancial StressOutside-the-Box TreatmentAthletes Opening UpThe Great ResignationOnline TherapyRelationship IssuesYouth in CrisisExtreme Weather Events Provoked Climate AnxietyLGBTQ+ Mental Health DisparitiesThe Good and Bad of Social MediaView AllBack To Top
Table of ContentsTable of ContentsExpandFinancial StressOutside-the-Box TreatmentAthletes Opening UpThe Great ResignationOnline TherapyRelationship IssuesYouth in CrisisExtreme Weather Events Provoked Climate AnxietyLGBTQ+ Mental Health DisparitiesThe Good and Bad of Social MediaView All
Table of ContentsExpandFinancial StressOutside-the-Box TreatmentAthletes Opening UpThe Great ResignationOnline TherapyRelationship IssuesYouth in CrisisExtreme Weather Events Provoked Climate AnxietyLGBTQ+ Mental Health DisparitiesThe Good and Bad of Social MediaView All
Table of ContentsExpandFinancial StressOutside-the-Box TreatmentAthletes Opening UpThe Great ResignationOnline TherapyRelationship IssuesYouth in CrisisExtreme Weather Events Provoked Climate AnxietyLGBTQ+ Mental Health DisparitiesThe Good and Bad of Social Media
Table of ContentsExpand
Expand
Financial Stress
Outside-the-Box Treatment
Athletes Opening Up
The Great Resignation
Online Therapy
Relationship Issues
Youth in Crisis
Extreme Weather Events Provoked Climate Anxiety
LGBTQ+ Mental Health Disparities
The Good and Bad of Social Media
View All
Verywell Mind’s 2021 year-in-review is a reflection of all that we’ve faced in 2021. The highs and lows. The hope, the disappointment, and everything in between. This was not the year we started talking about mental health, but it is the year that solidified the topic in our collective consciousness. Mental health is no longer the hidden pandemic or the thing we’re too afraid to talk about, and will continue to do so long after the pandemic is over.
Amy Morin, LCSWThis year reminded us of the importance of getting proactive about managing our mental health. Whether that means having a variety of healthy coping skills to deal with our stress, or it means seeing a therapist to address some underlying issues, the importance of psychological well-being has been—and will remain—at the forefront of our minds.
Amy Morin, LCSW
This year reminded us of the importance of getting proactive about managing our mental health. Whether that means having a variety of healthy coping skills to deal with our stress, or it means seeing a therapist to address some underlying issues, the importance of psychological well-being has been—and will remain—at the forefront of our minds.
Financial Stress Persisted, Especially for Gen Z
Verywell / Bailey Mariner
As the pandemic touched every aspect of our lives between personal relationships and work, resilience prevailed and, thanks to the efficacy of vaccines, we were able to adapt and get a glimpse of a sense of normalcy this past summer. Between April and July, some of the biggest stressors of the year diminished 5–6% across the board. According to our ongoingMental Health Tracker, however, one stressor in particular persisted and continues to linger over our heads: our finances.
More recently, we reported that 36% of people rated financial instability as one of their top concerns for the future. And for good reason. Money issues don’t exist in a vacuum. The effects extend far beyond the direct financial component, especially for those who suffered a job loss.
Difficult financial circumstances can put a strain on relationships, living situations, and above all, your health and mental well-being. Mental self-care doesn’t have to be pricey, and while it may not solve a financial crisis, it can better prepare you to face the ongoing stressors of daily life in these difficult times as we keep on with small steps toward recovery.
Doctors and Patients Alike Sought Radical, Outside-the-Box Treatments
Verywell / Alex Dos Diaz
In the wake of FDA approval of Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, doctors are increasingly making use of the therapeutic effects of other controlled substances. One example isMDMA, which in 2021 was shown to be a safe and highly effective treatment for severe, chronic PTSD. In a Phase 3 trial 88% of participants reported a reduction in symptoms, and 67% would no longer have qualified for a PTSD diagnosis at all.
Late in 2020, Oregon became the first state to legalize psychedelic mushrooms and their psychoactive compound, psilocybin. In 2021, towns and cities in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington have followed suit. Research is ongoing, but the data on using psilocybin as part of treatment for mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance use is promising, and some therapists have begun incorporating it into their therapy practices as the law allows.
Oregon Paves the Way for “Magic Mushroom” Mental Health Treatments
Meanwhile, the market for unregulated CBD oils, tinctures, and even beverages has skyrocketed in recent years, with sales expected togrow to over$5.3 billion for 2021, and some projections anticipating over $20 billion in annual sales within a few years.
Further research is sorely needed to show how effective CBD and other substances actually are at easing mental health conditions, helping people sleep, and helping people feel less anxious throughout the day, but there’s no doubt that more and more people are putting their trust in these supplements to traditional therapy.
Our Best Athletes Shared Their Struggles With the World
It’s often said that competition breeds excellence, and given our collective appreciation of athletes performing at the top of their game, excellence seems to be a worthy goal for which to strive. We hold up our best athletes as idols—we chant their name, wear their jerseys, even build statues of them. We treat them more like gods than like real people with internal lives and personal struggles.
More than ever before, however, athletes and other celebrities are speaking out about their mental health in a way that reflects the issues facing all of us on a daily basis. They experience the same daily pressures we all face to perform at work, succeed in life and love, and to be good role models for those around us, except that everything a professional athlete does is under the strongest of microscopes.
In 2021, these athletes and many others let the world know that they have the same rights to mental health as the rest of us. And while some in the public responded with confusion or even outrage, the world largely applauded. On Verywell Mind, many readers sought empowerment. for themselves, with increased interest in content around your rights at work when dealing withanxietyordepression.
If some of our highest achievers feel self-doubt, anxiety, or depression, any one of us can certainly feel the same. And if they’re willing to fight back against the stigma of mental health issues, we should all be willing to join that fight.
A Brave, Empowered New Workforce Emerged
Verywell / Julie Bang
As video conferencing replaced in-person meetings for over a year, zoom fatigue became an unofficial diagnosis of the physical and mental toll we felt as a result of inundated screen time. Stress loomed as parents juggled pitch presentations with in-home daycare. The line between work and life became increasingly blurred. That’s where the so-called “Great Resignation” began
Every month from April to September 2021 saw at least 2.5% of the American workforce quit their jobs. In each of July, August, and September, over 4 million people quit their jobs according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This isn’t just about quitting or changing jobs, though. Our very attitudes about work, in general, have shifted to prioritize more flexibility and a greater sense of well-being, and companies responded with partial or full work-from-home arrangements and other considerations to prevent burnout.
Despite still living through a pandemic, many people are beginning to experience what a post-pandemic world could look like. For Millennial and Gen-Z women specifically, the report reveals that moving forward, life and career goals for this group might better align with their values and desires.
Online Therapy Exploded in Popularity, But Did It Work for Everyone?
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
We saw online therapyskyrocketduring the pandemic not purely out of necessity—but because therapists and clients were left with no other option. Though the rise in teletherapy made mental health treatment more accessible for some and allowed us to cast a wider net of therapists outside our immediate area, it also introduced a different set of inequities.
For instance, people who did not have access to computers, smartphones or landlines, steady Wi-Fi connections, and/or arenot proficient with technology were at a disadvantage. A study from last winter found that older people (namely those over 55) were among those who reported fewer overall telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Being female, Black or Latinx, and having a lower household income were also all linked to a lower frequency of video calls, according to theJAMAstudy. As for scheduling fewer appointments of any kind, being Asian, on Medicaid, or not fluent in English were all reported factors.
With the convenience of online therapy likely lasting far longer than the pandemic, society must address any lack of access to the necessary technology, as well as ensure that people have access to therapists who understand their particular needs
While physical consultations may still be a reality as we return to normalcy, working together to help older and at-risk groups can ensure more people have access to the therapy they need long after the pandemic continues.
Close Cohabitation Made Many Relationships Worse
Verywell / Alison Czinkota
As it did for most areas, the pandemic also put our love lives to the test, and Verywell Mind readers wanted as much information as they could get their hands on. We observed significant growth in relationship-related content over the summer, including some of the following topics that cover the full spectrum of romantic relationships:
While many couples thrived as they worked, ate, and adapted together in close quarters, just as many struggled. At the beginning of the year, wesurveyedmore than 1,200 readers about dating and cohabitating during the pandemic to understand how people approached the season of romance.
We found that 27% of respondents reported that the pandemic has made their relationship worse, and while this may not seem like a significant number at first, this statistic may paint a darker picture once we dig deeper into COVID-19’s impact on cohabitating partners.
While the dynamics driving the uptick are unclear, stay-at-home orders and pandemic-related economic impacts likely exacerbated factors typically associated with domestic violence, including increased male unemployment, stress associated with childcare, and increased financial insecurity. Poor coping strategies, including the increased substance use and limited access to shelters or safe housing options may have also elevated the risk of abuse.
Your relationship should offer a reprieve in these difficult times. If the issues you are experiencing with your partner are far from the norm, know that you are not alone.If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Your relationship should offer a reprieve in these difficult times. If the issues you are experiencing with your partner are far from the norm, know that you are not alone.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Substance Use and Suicidal Ideation Presented Major Risks for Young People
In many ways, it feels like the world has stopped for a while. For some, staying safe at home presented an opportunity to step back, slow down a bit, and try to focus more on the things that matter most. For those already in crisis, however, isolation during the pandemic led to significant concerns of deteriorating mental health. People dealing with addictions, for example, may have lost peer support and the ability to safely partake in many of the usual coping mechanisms that helped contain their substance use.
While preliminary data shows that there has not been the significant wave in suicides that many feared during the pandemic, research shows some potential causes for alarm:
Before COVID, opioids were the epidemic of note, and while our attention has been diverted, the dangers of opioid use have not faded. In fact, overdoses have continued to rise, with CDC provisional data from April showing a 28.5% year-over-year increase in drug overdose deaths.
Verywell Mind content around the topic of addiction experienced major traffic spikes in January, right around the time of the 2020-21 winter COVID peak. Articles aboutvaping(1143%), drug use (838%), and theTwelve Steps(632%) showed the most significant spikes.
The personal crises associated with addiction have not stopped, rather they have been looped into the ongoing crises tied to the pandemic, and must not be forgotten. Fortunately,teletherapy,virtual support groups, and other digital options have risen to the challenge of supporting individuals in crisis over the past year.
Verywell / Catherine Song
While COVID-19 has created a sense of global, existential dread the likes of which many of us have not felt before, climate change persists as an ongoing issue that will continue to affect our lives long after the pandemic is over. On the surface, climate issues appear to create mostly physical experiences—extreme heat and cold, poor air quality, stronger hurricanes, and more frequent floods and wildfires.
That said, the increasingly difficult living conditions, fear for the future, and political discord all commonly associated with climate change have sparked a rise in what can only be described as “climate anxiety.” On several levels, the climate impacts our mental health in a negative way:
The climate issue can often spark feelings of distress and even helplessness. It’s a problem so big that it can feel unsolvable. And at a personal level, it’s complicated enough to plan for the future without having to account for unknowable paradigm shifts. That holds particularly true for Gen Z,71% of whomare concerned about climate change, while 62% of Americans have climate change-related events among their top 3 concerns about the future.
Disparities in Health, Treatment, and Support Affected the LGBTQ+ Community
Isolation can be a struggle for anyone, even the introverts among us. If nothing else, life during the pandemic has proven that. For some, these effects can be even more difficult to bear. People in the LGBTQ+ communities are one example of those who have faced some unique struggles since the start of the pandemic. For LGBTQ+ individuals, restrictions on public activity meant less access to the larger community—an essential outlet for many.
COVID-related difficulties are even more drastic for others, for example, transgender individuals who have been forced to delay gender-affirming surgeries due to a lack of hospital resources or losing their job and health insurance.
Research shows that the LGBTQ+ community, unfortunately, is already at higher risk of mental health issues, and are:
Additionally, research shows that LGBTQ+ individuals are less likely to receive treatment for issues like substance use or mental health conditions, with asmany as 45%receiving no treatment for a mental illness.
On top of that,sexual minoritieshave higher rates of conditions like cancer, asthma, and heart disease that lead to a higher risk of COVID infection and complications. The disparities that put members of this community at higher risk of physical and mental health issues made them uniquely vulnerable during this time.
When those disparities are cast aside, however, it seems that outcomes improve. An August 2021 survey from theHuman Rights Campaignfound that 92% of LGBTQ+ adults had received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine—a treatment freely available to all. Without the barriers and biases that put LGBTQ individuals at greater health risks, potentially life-saving treatment was administered to great effect in 2021.
Mental Health Resources to Support the LGBTQIA+ Community
We Turned to Social Media, for Better and Worse
Once vaccinations were approved and the so-called ‘return to normalcy’ began, the highlight reels were back with a vengeance, along with the anxiety and self-judgment that came with them. What’s more, many people wanted to show that they emerged from a traumatic year looking flawless as ever, with 90% of women reporting the use of a photo filter.When all you see on social media are edited photos, it can promote a vicious culture of unattainable beauty standards—at the inevitable detriment to mental health.
Instagram in particular has been especially hard on teen girls, whose developingbody imageand sense of self-acceptance are highly vulnerable. This past September, leaked internal documents showed that Facebook (now Meta) knew Instagram was having a consistently negative effect on the mental health of teenage girls—32% of teens said that when they were feeling bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.
Adults aren’t immune from these effects, either. In a November study, social media use was associated with increased levels of depression in 9% of individuals who previously reported no symptoms of depression. Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok were cited as the biggest offenders.
Social media isn’t slowing down, so it’s on us to be more intentional about our social media use, and more careful about what we consume on a daily basis.
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A Word From Verywell
Last year at this time, we called 2020 the most difficult year of many people’s lives. In many ways, things did get better this year, between widespread vaccine access, better treatments for COVID, more openness around mental health.
And yet, as 2021 closes, researchers are determining the dangers of the variant known as Omicron, travel restrictions are tightening, and people are wondering if it will be necessary to quarantine again. Even as we gather for the holidays, return to some form of in-office work, and re-learn what it means to be social, we aren’t out of the woods.
As we always try to do, we at Verywell Mind will do our best to reduce stigma, provide healthy and accessible coping strategies, and present possible next steps for your mental health journey in a friendly, non-judgmental way. As we approach the uncertain future of 2022, the best we can do is take care of ourselves and look out for each other. No matter what you’re struggling with, know that you’re not alone.
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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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