Young adults in Mecklenburg are most stressed during COVID pandemic, report finds

Millennials and Gen Zers in Mecklenburg have experienced the strongest negative emotions tied to the pandemic, suggesting burgeoning mental health concerns fueled by stress and uncertainty, county data show.

Just over 80% of county residents polled say they have felt stressed or worried since March 2020, a Mecklenburg survey from this fall found. About 75% of residents of all ages reported feeling anxious or exhausted — and 51% felt depressed.

But the pandemic — along with poverty — exacted the steepest mental health toll on residents ages 18 to 34, says Monica Allen, the county’s director of strategic planning and evaluation. In that age group, 19% of respondents encountered “significant daily” or “severe disruption” to accessing food, compared to the survey average of 8%.

Young people were also the most likely to report feeling exhausted, anxious, isolated and depressed.

”Typically, we talk about racial and ethnical disparities,” Allen told county commissioners on Wednesday during their annual budget strategy session. “But one of the things we’re starting to see is ... there may need to be closer attention paid to the younger populations in Mecklenburg County.”

The survey included responses from 1,158 people who participated in September. Here are key takeaways from the results.

Positive emotions

Along a spectrum of emotions, Mecklenburg residents still managed to stay positive once the pandemic upended daily life — at least “some of the time,” as the survey phrased it.

”Higher results are better,” Allen said.

▪ 96% of respondents said they were “in good spirits” and calm, either all of the time or some of the time

▪ 93% felt hopeful

▪ 90% felt relaxed

▪ Peaceful notched the lowest response at 89%

The responses of feeling positive had similar rates across all four age brackets in the survey, Allen said.

Emotions by race

Positive emotions didn’t vary much across African-American, Hispanic and white residents surveyed, Allen said.

Yet for negative emotions, based on those surveyed, the feeling of isolation was highest among white respondents.

While 60% of African-American respondents felt isolated, the percentage rose to 67% for white respondents and 66% for Hispanic respondents.

When it came to feeling worried, 77% of African-American people said they felt worried all or some of the time, which Allen suggested could be a result of ongoing racism that’s caused certain individuals to adapt their emotional perceptions. Eighty-five percent of white respondents said they were worried; and 83% among Hispanic people.

Negative emotions

In nearly every category of negative emotions, the youngest respondents reported higher rates.

Depression

▪ Felt among 58% of respondents ages 18-34

▪ 57% among ages 35-50

▪ 48% among ages 51-69

▪ 40% among 70+

Isolated

▪ Felt among 67% of respondents ages 18-34

▪ 69% among ages 35-50

▪ 60% among ages 51-69

▪ 61% among 70+

Stressed

▪ Felt among 91% of respondents ages 18-34

▪ 88% among ages 35-50

▪ 78% among ages 51-69

▪ 67% among 70+

Exhausted

▪ Felt among 86% of respondents ages 18-34

▪ 85% among ages 35-50

▪ 71% among ages 51-69

▪ 60% among 70+

Anxious

▪ Felt among 80% of respondents ages 18-34

▪ 77% among ages 35-50

▪ 68% among ages 51-69

▪ 68% among 70+

Worried

▪ Felt among 87% of respondents ages 18-34

▪ 85% among ages 35-50

▪ 79% among ages 51-69

▪ 76% among 70+

Why it matters

Mental health is a key budget priority for Mecklenburg commissioners — along with issues like affordable housing, early childhood education, parks and greenways, and reducing racial disparities.

In a budget survey for the next fiscal year, about 84% of 4,300 respondents said they thought mental health services were under-funded. Only 15% said the current level of funding was appropriate.

At Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, there is a dearth of hundreds of social workers, counselors and psychologists. The funding problem was exacerbated by the county’s mandate for all hourly employees to be paid $15 an hour, causing CMS to enact a temporary hiring freeze last year.

Resources

In Charlotte, crisis response teams are available via the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Crisis Intervention Team and Mecklenburg County Crisis.

The crisis unit hotline is 704-566-3410 (select option 1 after dialing).

When dialing 911 in Charlotte in a life-threatening situation, callers may ask for a Crisis Intervention officer or a “C-I-T” officer.

Support is also available through:

▪ Atrium Health Behavioral Health Help Line: 704-444-2400

▪ Novant Health Behavioral Health Call Center: 1-800-786-1585

▪ Cardinal Innovations Healthcare: 1-800-939-5911

▪ Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741

▪ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 12:59 PM.