(Art credit: Andrea Hernandez, "Stay Safe")

This post is provided by our partner, MetroPlusHealth. Find affordable health plans for New Yorkers of all ages from MetroPlusHealth.

COVID-19 has hit the mental health of New Yorkers hard.

So found MetroPlusHealth, New York’s affordable health plan, in its 2021 Survey of Behavioral Health. The study was done 18 months after COVID-19 started. It found that the pandemic had harmed the mental well-being of more than half (55%) of city residents, higher than the national average of 48%.

New York City is one of the cities hit hardest by COVID-19. The MetroPlusHealth study compared the impact locally to the whole country. It found that the city's shutdown made more people:

· lose sleep (54% NYC vs. 48% U.S.);

· feel lonely (49% NYC vs. 41% U.S.); and

· feel anxious (63% NYC vs. 54% U.S.).

Nearly two-thirds of people 18 to 34 years old said that getting mental health care would make their lives better.

Here’s how MetroPlusHealth has your back.

COVID-19 put new stress on many of our members who are most at risk. This is why we recently decided to bring our behavioral health (BH) services in-house. Now, our staff works with our primary care physicians to identify BH issues upfront. Putting both types of health issues in one place makes for better care and use of services.

We know that behavioral health care is key to our health plan. It lets us give members care that is complete and that works together. It all comes FREE with your MetroPlusHealth coverage: virtual visits, urgent care, online therapy, initial online psychiatry visits, and follow-up visits!