NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, leading digital mental health company, Happify Health, today announced the launch of the “2020 Survival Kit” available today at 2020.happify.com. This new collection offers free, tailored content designed to help people manage the stressful and challenging times being faced right now amid the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, racial inequities and discrimination, and overall stress and uncertainty around the pandemic. World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
The 2020 Survival Kit features content developed to help people cope with the additional challenges they may be experiencing right now, and includes the following tracks:
- Find More Peace in Election Season: Manage the negative effects of the stress and anxiety you’re feeling about the state of the country and the world, and nurture your own well-being through self-care, safe social connection, and meditation.
- Cope with Racial Stress and Discrimination: From racial discrimination to health disparities, the mental toll on the Black community is enormous. This track provides strategies to reduce negative feelings, and promote pride, meaning, and joy.
- Managing Stress in Uncertain Times: Uncertainty goes hand in hand with intense stress and anxiety. This track helps you cope with worry while finding meaning and moments of joy during COVID-19.
- Conquer Negative Thoughts: When things are hard, negative thinking has a tendency to grab us and not let go. This track helps you fight back against those thoughts while building resilience.
- Your Anxiety Antidote: Mindfulness Meditation: A mindfulness practice focused on reducing anxiety can help you cope with a chaotic world and recharge your resilience.
“Now more than ever, access to digital mental health tools like Happify is critical to helping people manage the rapidly increasing stress and worry they’re experiencing - whether resulting from the pandemic, the upcoming election, racial discrimination or a combination of it all,” said Tomer Ben-Kiki, Co-Founder and CEO at Happify Health. “In support of World Mental Health Day, we are especially committed to delivering accessible mental health resources, such as our free 2020 Survival Kit, to help people cope with specific challenges they may be experiencing during this difficult year.”
Mental health disorders have been compounded by stress around the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, racial injustice and COVID-19, scaling the problem into a global crisis, and increasing the demand for digital mental health tools that will deliver people the genuine support, empathy and connection they need.
The upcoming U.S. Presidential election has led to an increase in stress and worry, with a new American Psychological Association survey reporting that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) say that the 2020 U.S. Presidential election is a significant source of stress in their life, up from 52% during the 2016 election. Findings from a recent Healthline survey found that 71% of Americans living with a health condition feel the results of this election will have more of an impact on them personally than past elections, with 68% of Americans concerned that they or a family member may get exposed to the coronavirus when going out to vote in person.
The mental health toll that racial discrimination and injustice have had on the Black community has been immense. The rate of Black Americans showing clinically significant signs of anxiety or depressive disorders jumped from 36 percent to 41 percent in the week after the video of George Floyd’s death became public, according to a 2020 Household Pulse Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The American Psychological Association's Stress in America survey for July reports that 3 in 5 U.S. adults (60%) say the protests following the death of George Floyd are a significant source of stress, with nearly two-thirds (64%) reporting that the government response to the protests is a significant source of stress.
A May 2020 Census Bureau poll found that one-third of Americans now show signs of clinical anxiety or depression. Further, a new survey from the CDC released found that 40% of American adults have struggled with mental health or substance abuse in June. The same survey also found that the coronavirus pandemic has especially negatively affected the mental health of young adults, reporting that more than 25% of adults between the ages of 18-24 have “seriously considered suicide” due to the pandemic.
At Happify Health, our global commitment is to continue developing and providing accessible digital health solutions for the whole person, and improving outcomes for all of humanity.
About Happify Health:
Happify Health is a LifeTech company that delivers digital therapeutics and innovative care delivery models to improve mental and physical health. As a leader in digital therapeutic solutions, Happify Health’s safe, effective digital tools use scientific research from positive psychology, CBT and mindfulness, combined with a gamified approach and leading-edge technology, to impact everyday lives. Happify Health's clinically-validated platform provides global access to one of the most comprehensive, evidence-based intervention catalog that is available from science, resulting in better health and business outcomes for organizations. For more information, visit www.happifyhealth.com.
