Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

'Tired of being sad.' The financial stress from Covid is taking an emotional toll

'Tired of being sad.' The financial stress from Covid is taking an emotional toll

The holidays often make people more vulnerable to feeling depressed or anxious. But for the millions of Americans suffering from a pandemic-induced financial crisis, the risk is much greater this season.

Many are at their wit's end. And it doesn't appear that help is on the way.

Congress is still at odds over a package that would provide additional economic aid to those who have lost their jobs or are struggling to get by. For many Americans, federal pandemic benefits are set to expire by the end of next month -- if they haven't already.

Readers have told CNN Business how desperate, dismayed and depressed they've become.

Barely getting by


"I've exhausted all of my unemployment benefits. I've had to resort to food stamps and [California's Medicaid program] for the first time in my life. I'm backdated on my rent and my credit has been ruined," said 38-year-old Andrew Lee, who lives in a suburb of Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

Lee lost his job as a business development director several months before the pandemic. But once it hit, it became that much harder to find work. And he didn't initially qualify for any pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

His wife, meanwhile, was furloughed without pay from her job as a fitness instructor at a gym that has been shut down due to Covid restrictions. She now collects $467 a week in unemployment benefits.

"We're getting by barely," Lee said.

Their two cars have been repossessed and they're getting notices that their internet service may be shut off, which would make it hard for their kids to continue online classes.

Initially, Lee said, he tried to handle their worsening financial situation on his own so his family wouldn't worry. But at a certain point, he noted, "the pressure becomes so enormous and stressful it starts to show."

He became grumpier, quicker to anger and at one point was drinking too much "to escape."

"There was one instance, I kind of broke. It was like, man, just having really dark thoughts," said Lee, who reached out to his family and close friends for emotional support. Their words of encouragement helped him see this chapter as temporary. "We have to have the mentality to weather the storm," he said, describing the perspective they offered.

Now sober for two months, he said, "I'm more in the mindset that being stressed out about things I can't control, I need to kind of say f*** it because if I let it consume me I will lose more than mental health, but my family and loved ones."

Fifty-six year old Tina Louise Parsons of New Orleans used to work with autistic children in group homes. But in 2017, she became a full-time driver for Lyft and Uber after a medical crisis made it hard for her to continue working with kids.

Parsons said she used to make enough to pay her bills and even save a little. But she lost her work with Uber in February and once the pandemic hit, tourists disappeared and fewer people called for car service to get to work, diminishing the money she made at Lyft as well. She now tries to make $100 a day, which can take her 10 hours or more between making Lyft pickups, working as an Instacart shopper, and delivering food for DoorDash and GrubHub.



While she didn't qualify for much of the pandemic aid available, she was allowed to go on Medicaid, after years of living without health insurance.

"I try and be grateful for what I have," Parsons said. But not making enough to pay her bills and never feeling like her income is secure leaves her feeling depressed. "I find it difficult to want to get up in the mornings. Even harder to use what little money I have for gas to drive around and try to find something to deliver for a few dollars."

At one point, when she wasn't sure how she was going to keep her phone on and buy food in the same week, she took herself to urgent care to talk to a mental health professional.

Now, she said, "with the holidays rolling in, it does get heavy."

She normally buys and cooks food to deliver to the homeless on Thanksgiving, but she can't afford that this year. She does, however, plan to cook a turkey for herself and a friend, who moved in with her after getting evicted from his place.

"I need to make pies, bake bread and make my stuffing. I need to cook." Parsons said. "I need to do it for my own mental health. I'm just tired of being sad."

Covid financial stress and depression


Lee's and Parsons' response to their situations echo what researchers are finding.

A study from Boston University's School of Public Health found the prevalence of depression symptoms among US adults increased threefold after Covid hit.


America in 2020: Food banks have been overrun by people using them for the first time as a result of pandemic-induced financial stress.


It also found the people at greatest risk were those with lower incomes, savings below $5,000 or greater exposure to financial stressors, such as job loss.

"People experiencing financial stressors are more likely to experience depression," said Catherine Ettman, the study's lead researcher.

In other research Ettman worked on, but which has not yet been peer reviewed, the findings suggest those who lost their jobs and have difficulty paying rent are more likely to have suicidal thoughts.

Meanwhile, a study from the Commonwealth Fund, a health policy research foundation, found that more Americans have experienced negative financial impacts and mental health distress due to the pandemic than the citizens of nine other high-income countries.

Given the correlation between financial stressors and depression, Ettman suggests that more federal economic aid to those struggling will not only help them pay their bills. "Our hope is [their] mental health will improve," she said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×