In May 2023, the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended – reflecting a long-awaited return to normalcy across the United States. However, this has not been the case for millions of Americans who continue to struggle with the economic and social effects of the pandemic, including disruptions to daily life, loss, and grief. For some, physical and mental health effects from the virus continue to persist long after the period of initial infection.
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Together We Can: International Overdose Awareness Day 2024
In 2023, our nation witnessed the first annual decline in overdose deaths since 2018. In 2022, there were over 111,000 deaths. In 2023, that number fell to 107,543. Though modest, this suggests that nationwide efforts to reduce overdoses are making a positive impact. However, the work is not finished.
2024 National Rural Health Day: Empowering Rural Resilience
For National Rural Health Day, SAMHSA celebrates the unique strengths of rural communities. SAMHSA empowers rural resilience by providing resources and tools that address behavioral health; supporting rural communities’ ability to mitigate, adapt, and recover from stressors; promoting behavioral health equity; and building and retaining a diverse, robust, and resilient behavioral health workforce.
Shining a Light on Bereavement and Grief: SAMHSA Recognizes National Grief Awareness Week
Grief, in many ways, is a universal experience. In the United States alone, millions of people experience grief and bereavement each year due to a variety of reasons, including the loss of loved ones or experiencing a traumatic event, illness, disaster, or violence. The number of individuals reporting grief and bereavement has increased in recent years, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose epidemic, and elevated rates of suicide.