At this point in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has been present in all of our lives for nearly a year now. It’s been a tough time, and some harsh statistics are being released about the impact the virus has had on mental health across the community. Specifically, Johns Hopkins researchers recently published a letter revealing a significant spike in suicides among Black Marylanders last year. You can check out the full article here.
New Findings
The article’s primary discovery is that the number of suicides among Black Marylanders doubled during the lockdown period compared to 2017 through 2019. Throughout the same time span, the number of suicides among White Marylanders were nearly cut in half.
Discussion of Findings
Thankfully, there are several ways we can attempt to manage our mental health during these trying times. First and foremost, if you are struggling or notice a loved one needs support, we’re here for you. Please reach out to any of us at MissionFit! You can reach us at 410.449.0127.
In addition, these are great resources to rely on if you ever feel you could use some help navigating through your current situation or if you need a new way to keep yourself engaged in a fun activity:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Indoor Activities for the winter
- Mental Health Resources For Adolescents and Young Adults
- Twitch (Craving a sense of community? Twitch is excellent for finding entertaining, like-minded content creators.)
Keep Mental Health in Mind with MissionFit!
MissionFit is dedicated to strengthening Baltimore youth through classes and an open gym. It’s our goal to encourage positive traits, like respect and teamwork, and provide children with a place to gain self-confidence and enjoy some exercise. To learn more about our classes or donate to support our mission, visit our website. Want to Support? We’re making health a possibility and a priority for Baltimore’s youth. If you want to support us, here are three easy ways to do so:
- Donate here!
- Amazon Wishlist– buy something specific that will make it easier for youth to achieve their health goals.
- You can put your online shopping to good use by donating a percentage of your purchase with AmazonSmile! To get started, sign in here, search for “MissionFit” and select us as your charity of choice.
