EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's been a tumultuous time for many Americans.

COVID-19 has taken more than a million lives nationwide, and — as the pandemic enters a fourth year — a recent spate of deadly mass shootings has left cities from New York to Texas reeling.

According to the “No Health Without Mental Health 2022” report from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, the rate of anxiety during COVID jumped to 84% among those surveyed.

Likewise, people who suffered trauma symptoms due to their own experiences or witnessing loved ones’ COVID illness and death increased to 62%.

The report notes that African American, Latinx and LGBTQ+ groups bore a disproportionate share of the loss and suffering, from joblessness to deaths.

Dr. Michele Nealon, president of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, joins “Your Afternoon” to discuss the findings.