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America Is In A Crisis!
How does restriction from people’s basic needs affect how they fulfill their other needs?

December 17, 2021

By: Hailey Carolan, Bridgette Fox, Brooke Gibson, Anaila Harris

2020 was almost the end of the world. Covid-19 struck fear into the hearts of America. In March of 2020, the
stay at home orders were issued in different states of the U.S.

Thus, face coverings were enforced and the virus made its way throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Access to necessities, such as food and water, were scarce. Covid-19 restrictions limited access to basic
needs, resulting in an increase in mental illness.

People were isolated, from not only each other but from basic resources as well. Job loss reached a new peak,
restricting people's income for food and other necessities. These factors increased food insecurity in America
resulting in an increase in mental health issues.

An Anxiety Ridden Time

Over the past two years the world was put on hold due to COVID-19. A deadly virus was on the move. Family
businesses were shut down, people were scared to leave their homes, and death tolls continued to rise.

Due to the stay-at-home order, life was moved completely online. Students were forced to learn from their
homes. People couldn't even make dentist, doctor, or therapy appointments. The unemployment rate was at an
all-time high and people were unable to pay their bills. People were terrified to leave their homes to even go to
the grocery store. Parts of America didn't have access to clean water due to lack of transportation.

Basic needs weren’t met: “On the morning of March 18, I sat across from my surgical oncologist in a Toronto
hospital and focused all my attention on not crying as she explained that the potentially life-saving surgery I’d
been waiting for was on hold—indefinitely—because of COVID-19” (Loney).

Covid has taken more than 800,000 lives and this has negatively affected Americans’ mental health - specifcally
depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Without people's basic needs being met -- food--water--shelter. They are
unable to meet their mental health needs.

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Stuck Inside

Depression -- anxiety -- loss -- grief. Unfortunately, these are all frequent themes across American households
for people of all ages.

Learning from home was brand new to many students and teachers, making adjusting to distance learning
challenging. “Failure rates increased in Wisconsin high schools” states, "The mental health issues from the
isolation of COVID are real. Students need their classmates and their teachers" (Garvey). Additionally, "And,
quite honestly, teachers need students just as badly… We didn't become teachers to talk to a computer”(West).
Teachers and students were not mentally prepared to teach and learn from home through technology like laptops
and computers.

In addition, the availability of food was scarce in American households due to the stay at home mandate.
“Pandemic causes increase in eating disorders” states, “Isolation at home… stress about going grocery
shopping, which is already something that is particularly stressful for an individual with an eating disorder, and
even concern[ed] about food scarcity” (Marabito). The pandemic caused panic about buying essentials in public
like food.

Cutoff of Resources

With Covid-19, came a spike in mental health issues. Unfortunately the job market for therapists became scarce.
Due to job layoffs, less therapists were available. People had no outlets to turn to for easing the mental health
issues that surfaced with Covid-19. Making an appointment to get a doctor's appointment was impossible, let
alone seeking professional mental help.

“Between March and October 2020, the number of visits to emergency departments nationwide by children
younger than 18 for mental health reasons increased by 44% over the same period in 2019, according to the
Centers for Disease Control.” (Lubrano). These conditions especially affected our youth. Between schools being
moved online and being stuck at home, the youth of America’s mental health deteriorated. Taking care of our
mental needs is just as important as taking care of our physical needs.

America was scared to leave their houses. People were afraid to go to grocery stores for food, in fear of catching
the virus. Most people couldn't afford the expenses of online shopping. A first hand experience “ Wilt said she's
waiting for the government to look out for families like hers, who are counting dollars every month to feed their
children while trying to avoid a deadly plague.” (Wilt).

Without access to food, people cannot meet their hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs, we cannot grow without meeting these needs. Without one need, the other ones cannot be met. When
people are unable to fulfill the first hierarchy of needs, physiological (food), they are unable to tend to their

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other needs such as personal security, mental health, sense of connection, and more. We as people are unable to
function to our fullest potential without these needs.

Available Resources

However, there are those that do not believe that resources are limited to an extent that would impair one’s
mental health. Numerous resources for people already exist, such as hotlines, food drives, or volunteer services.
Brigham Young University, for example, shares mental health resources for their students. “BYU continues to
offer help through Counseling and Psychological Services … A counselor can be reached at 801-422-3035 …
Students also have access to a 24-hour, on-call psychologist” (University Wire).

Furthermore, there are resources specifically for elderly. Jeanne Mayo, someone who specializes in helping
elders, lists some valuable sources: hamilton.ca/covid-19 for updated information, Meals on Wheels to deliver
meals, and Instacart to deliver groceries. One of the resources listed, Meals on Wheels, is an organization that
delivers food to people that are not able to leave their home.There are numerous ways elders can find help, if
they are unable to reach out to family.

It is understandable why others presume that there are plentiful resources offered, with hotlines, websites, and
companies willing to accommodate important needs. Despite help provided by volunteers or companies
supporting their members, many do not have access to resources - especially those that do not have family to
reach out to, those that do not have basic necessities, or those that do not have access to the internet.

Fired!

One of the biggest hardships during the pandemic was job loss. At the beginning of COVID-19 the economy
was in shambles, resulting in layoffs, cuts in pay, and stress over how to provide for families. California’s
Governor, Gavin Newsom, explained the reality of unemployment. He projected that “unemployment will peak
at 24.5% and end the next year with a jobless rate of 18% …it will only get worse” (Oreskes). The constant
stress and fear of not receiving an income has affected mental health, and makes providing for a family
impossible.

Hired!

On the other hand, health care workers faced an unprecedented demand

due to the virus. Mass amounts of cases flooded hospitals, making their
jobs more demanding. Nurses and doctors often had to choose which
patients were to receive certain treatments and which ones were not

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allowed to receive treatment, impacting their mental health. “Rationing lifesaving interventions is horrendously
wrenching… this presents the specter of abandoning patients. It readily leads to burnout -- and therefore less
effective care” (Emanuel).

A Mental Health Crisis

Before the pandemic, families struggled to put food on the table and kids went to bed hungry; however, the
situation has significantly worsened due to COVID-19. Food insecurity is when people have limited or
uncertain access to sufficient, nutritious food for a healthy life. “Before COVID-19, 11.1% of Americans lacked
consistent access to adequate food for an active, healthy life…early data suggest that more than 38% of
Americans are now at risk for food insecurity.” (Shanks)

Job loss increased the number of families needing food assistance

for the first time. Pandemic fear led to stockpiling items. Production
of some essential items could not keep up with demand.
“Simultaneously, recommendations are in place for households to
stock up on food and limit trips to the grocery store, an
impracticable proposal for individuals who cannot afford to acquire
large amounts of foods, have little space to store food, or live in
communities without access to an abundant food supply.” (Shanks)
Being hungry makes it difficult to focus and control one's emotions.
This can be extremely detrimental to students already trying to adapt to a new way of learning online. “The
experience of food insecurity is stressful and has been associated with numerous harmful physical and mental
health outcomes over the short and long term. Among children, food insecurity is also associated with adverse
behavioral and academic outcomes.” (Wolfson)

It’s A Hoax!

Everybody has different views and opinions. Some people argue the Coronavirus pandemic did not affect
people's mental health as badly as it did because they believe that COVID-19 was a hoax. Many people
challenged what they were seeing on the news just because they had a different experience with the pandemic
than others. In an article non covid believers say, “"Does anyone know anyone who has the coronavirus? Not
just heard about them but actually know them," …"Statistically none of us are sick” (Gownen)

Non Covid belivers reacted to the pandemic in a different way, “Virus deniers vow to continue on with their
daily activities with little adjustment, convinced that the unprecedented reaction to the virus is nothing more
than a plot by the media or liberals out to get Trump.” (Gownen) If these people argue that the virus itself didn’t
exist then they wouldn’t agree that people's mental health were affected because of it.

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Some people might say that mental health has become a buzzword overused related to the pandemic. In an
article Helen Rumbelow talks about mental health misinterpretations “Hang on, who is this conversation about
mental health helping if the outcome is that everyone is interpreting their experiences as anxiety and
depression?"” (Rumbelow) People who would argue about the effects of the pandemic on people’s mental
health would argue that people are mischaracterizing their feelings.

The Real Effects Of Covid

Overall, there have been many deaths due to COVID-19. There is a surplus amount of data that proves real
outcomes of the pandemic.

Although, realizing the truth about the pandemic can be hard to comprehend, it is important. “Workplace
COVID cases rapidly outstrip 2020 Workplace deaths related to COVID-19 Workplace illnesses related to
COVID-19”, states, "It's a reminder that these aren't just numbers … Every recorded death is someone's family
member, friend, parent, or child - someone who needed to be protected” (Toronto). The statistics are not
pointless numbers, they have meaning to the families and friends who are personally affected by COVID- 19
deaths.

“The parallel heath crises of Covid pandemic”, “A study published last month by researchers… They found
levels of clinical depression had doubled from 15 per cent to 35 per cent” (Financial Times). This should be
taken seriously because it has had devastating effects on many people. People who have had personal losses
from the pandemic are struggling to maintain a healthy mental state.

The Government's Call To Action

Covid-19 has deteriorated the mental health of Americans. The government needs to proactively do a better job
at making sure people have the resources they need. They need to help with income, so people will be able to
buy food and other necessities. Managing to put food on the table without any money to buy food is unrealistic.

In addition, people’s access to food, therapy, and other basic necessities were taken away. Challenges at home,
balancing school, and living through a global pandemic negatively impacted mental health for numerous
communities.

Seeking mental health help should be a necessity for people, not a luxury. People are struggling to support
themselves and their families without their required needs being met. This can have a negative impact on
their mental health, increasing stress, anxiety, and tensions.

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Works Cited

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Emanuel, Ezekiel J., James Phillips, and Govind Persad. "Doctors may Face Impossible Decisions." New York
Times, 16 Mar 2020. SIRS Issues Researcher,
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Gowen, Annie. "Coronavirus Deniers and Hoaxers Persist Despite Dire Warnings, Claiming ‘it’s Mass
Hysteria’."eLibrary, 19 Mar 2020,
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Ruiz-Goiriena, Romina. "SHOPPING WOES." Visalia Times - Delta / Tulare Advance - Register, 25 Jan 2021.
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