For Mental Health Awareness Month, Facebook has introduced their new Emotional Health Center – a resource hub that helps users connect with mental health assistance. The Emotional Health Center contains tips, exercises and helpline numbers to help Facebook users cope with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
To curate the best mental health resources, Facebook has partnered with leading mental health experts and organizations such as Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, the World Health Organization, the National Center for PTSD – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and ReachOut.com Australia.
This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth we're partnering with leading mental health experts around the world to offer support and provide new resources. We’re also encouraging people to check in with each other as the pandemic continues to impact mental health.https://t.co/wT0k3YdNUz
— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) May 4, 2021
Facebook’s Emotional Health Center couldn’t have come at a better time. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected people’s mental health globally. According to the KFF Health Tracking Poll conducted in July 2020, the majority of the respondents (53%) revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their mental health. Moreover, many respondents reported an increase in unhealthy habits such as sleep insomnia (36%), difficulty eating (32%), and an increase in alcohol consumption and substance abuse (12%).
The Covid-19 pandemic has also taken a huge toll on businesses across all sectors – resulting in widespread unemployment. The high unemployment rate has led to financial stress, depression and heightened anxiety in finding new jobs. A survey by FlexJobs revealed that prior to the pandemic, only 7% of unemployed respondents faced mental health. This percentage has now risen to 27%.
If you are struggling with mental health issues, you can seek assistance at Facebook’s Emotional Health Center here.