COLLATERAL DAMAGE

A general overview of mental health issues stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mooney handles a broad topic in six brief chapters, each centering one aspect of the many social-emotional challenges related to the ongoing health crisis. Together, they contextualize the overall impact of increased isolation associated with the loss of normal routines, from depression to stress and anxiety. The text discusses problems like the economic strain on families, challenges for those in caregiver roles, dealing with death and grief, substance use, finding resources for support, issues facing essential workers, and other topics. Many teen readers will recognize their struggles with changes in schooling and dealing with family concerns, but insights for marginalized communities are somewhat limited. The photographs reflect some ethnic diversity, and specific stressors facing families of color are mostly acknowledged in financial terms. The disproportionate impact of anti-Chinese hate speech on Asian Americans is not mentioned; neither is the rise in domestic violence. Each chapter includes stories that offer varied individual perspectives that may resonate with many readers. The thematic chapters include some overlapping concepts and can stand alone. This carefully researched and informative title covers key concepts with an approach grounded in the importance of recognizing unhealthy behaviors and identifying coping strategies, thus meeting a need for digestible information on a much-needed contemporary topic.

A useful guide to counter feelings of helplessness.