Video, Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo: 'We Have a Serious Problem of the Emotional Stress and Anxiety That COVID Has Caused'

Earlier today at a briefing, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo addressed rising mental health concerns due to COVID-19.

Last-last point - people talk about "COVID fatigue." You know, first I said about "COVID fatigue," look, I heard COVID fatigue to mean, "I'm tired of wearing the mask, I'm tired of doing the social distancing, I'm just tired and I don't want to do it anymore." To that I said, you don't have the luxury of fatigue, because the virus isn't fatigued and until the battle is over, you can't take a nap. That's how I heard fatigue. But there are different facets to fatigue that are frankly more problematic. COVID has caused tremendous stress on society and tremendous individual stress.

It is - it is frightening, COVID, and it has caused significant anxiety among many people. I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm not a medical doctor. I'm telling you from talking to people and hearing their voice and hearing their concerns, I'm telling you we have a serious problem of the emotional stress and anxiety that COVID has caused. And the longer it goes on, the worse it is getting. COVID in the early stages, I think, was almost a form of adrenaline that kicks in and you do what you have to do, and you function and that get you through. The adrenaline phase, and now you have this overwhelming emotional sense and people are feeling it. And, it is worrisome to me - not as a Governor, just as a person. Yes, we see it in the numbers, you see it in substance abuse, you see it in domestic violence, you see it in the number of people calling for mental health treatment. But I'm just telling you as a member of society, I have friends that I'm worried about. I speak to friends and my family who I am worried about - you can hear it in their voice. There is an emotional toll - one day they will be talking about PTSD from COVID. They will be. And then they will be up here with some mental health experts and some psychiatrists who are talking about the PTSD effect on children, on seniors, on all individuals who are suffering from the anxiety and stress from COVID. That is going to happen.

We're all now so functionally oriented that I think we're missing the emotional and mental health that has gone on. What do I do about it? We're trying to increase services across the board, but it's just percolating. Today I would ask New Yorkers, just change the prioritization of who we think we are and move loving up to the top, you know? Don't do what I do - I get someone on the phone or I'm talking to someone, and I say, "How's everything? Everything good? Good. Let's talk about this. You're feeling good? Family, good? Good, let's talk about this." The "How's everything going?" "How do you feel?" "How are you dealing with this?" is more important than ever before. And slowing down and asking the question and slowing down so the person can answer the question and get past the trite, quick response - "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, oh yes, I'm fine, everybody's fine." Nobody's fine. Nobody's fine. You can't be going through this and be fine. You can have issues that you feel you're dealing with fine, but nobody can be fine. This is a terrible period. And just take that moment to show some love and then we do everything, we're smart, we're united, we're disciplined, we're tough.