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COLUMNISTS
Mental Health

It's OK not to be OK. Erasing stigma of mental illness is a big step toward healing.

We are a nation of people on the edge, but we also are a nation of people more willing to talk about our vulnerabilities.

Chuck Ingoglia
Opinion contributor

This column is part of an ongoing series by USA TODAY Opinion exploring the mental health crisis facing Americans.

It’s no surprise the pandemic has battered our collective well-being. But it might come as a surprise that the pandemic has provided an opportunity to restore our mental well-being.

We now are finally engaged in a meaningful conversation about mental health and substance use challenges, and this change has helped reduce the stigma surrounding treatment.

The tragic loss of life, social isolation, economic insecurity and the need to dodge new variants from a relentless virus all have taken a toll. More people report experiencing mental health challenges. More people are dying from overdose deaths, and overdoses from fentanyl are the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45.