Covid-19 Could Lead to an Epidemic of Clinical Depression

We need to prepare for the mental and emotional consequences of social isolation and economic hardship

Depression can steal our motivation, distrupt sleep, and lay waste to our capacity to problem-solve.tommaso79/Shutterstock

Isolation, social distancing and extreme changes in daily life are hard now, but the United States also needs to be prepared for what may be an epidemic of clinical depression because of COVID-19.

We are clinical psychological scientists at the University of Washington’s Center for the Science of Social Connection. We study human relationships, how to improve them, and how to help people with clinical depression, emphasizing evidence-based approaches for those who lack resources.