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Helping children stay mentally well during pandemic starts with adults taking care of themselves: Connecticut panel

As hope for an imminent reopening collapses amid the rising infection rate, Connecticut residents should pay close attention to their emotional well-being and reach out for help when necessary, mental health experts said Monday at a state-sponsored roundtable discussion on Zoom.

“In our state, more than 350,000 people are on SNAP food assistance, several hundred thousand people have lost their jobs. You only have to go to a food distribution line at Rentschler Field to see the stress that families are under,” said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, whose staff organized the talk.

“One of the things we know is happening in the pandemic is people are drinking more, maybe they’re taking drugs,” Bysiewicz said.