The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted lives around the world. In addition to the lives lost to the virus, as many communities enter the second and third month under stay-at-home orders, there is a rising mental health toll, too. In a national survey released by the American Psychiatric Association in March, 36 percent of respondents said that COVID-19 was seriously impacting their mental health; 48 percent were anxious about getting infected; and 57 percent reported concern that COVID-19 will seriously impact their finances.

As a trained psychiatrist, I know firsthand the importance of bringing out into the open the issue of mental health. While it might be years between the first onset of symptoms and someone seeking help, the internet is often the first place people turn to find out more about mental disorders. To help address the emerging mental health crisis we’re sharing “Be Kind to Your Mind," which includes resources on mental wellbeing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Whenever people in the U.S. search for information about coping with the pandemic, or on COVID-19 and mental health, we’ll show a public service announcement with tips to cope with stress during COVID-19. To raise awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing during these times, we'll highlight these resources on Google's homepage tomorrow.

With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to highlight a few other resources and tools across Google and YouTube that promote mental wellbeing.

Self-assessment questionnaires for depression and PTSD

When people search on Google for information about mental health conditions we provide panels with information from authoritative sources like Mayo Clinic that detail symptoms, treatments, and provide an overview of the different types of specialists who can help. On the info panels for depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we provide direct access to clinically-validated self-assessment questionnaires that ask some of the same types of questions a mental health professional might ask. Based on a person’s answers, these self-assessment tools provide information on risk, along with links to more resources. Results to these questionnaires are not logged. We hope they can provide insight and help people have a more informed conversation with their doctor. We will add more self-assessment  questionnaires over time to cover more conditions.

Self-care content on YouTube

Over the last few months, YouTube has seen a 35 percent increase in views of meditation videos, and growing popularity of mindfulness and wellbeing content. YouTube is making videos like these and other mental health resources more widely available to anyone around the world, for free, by spotlighting channels and playlists that have wellbeing and mindfulness-focused content. Countless YouTube creators, like Dr. Mike and Kati Morton, educate their communities as they help reduce the stigma associated with mental health. YouTube is also launching relevant YouTube Originals, including a “BookTube” episode featuring top authors like Melinda Gates and Elizabeth Gilbert offering their best book recommendations.

Finding virtual care options, quickly

Because of stay-at-home orders and restrictions that limit in-person interactions, many mental health care providers (including therapists and psychiatrists) are now providing telehealth care, like conducting therapy sessions over video conference. To make these options easier to find, we now allow providers to highlight their virtual care services on their Google Business Profile. So now, when you search for a mental health provider in products like Search and Maps, you may see an “Online care” link that can take you to their virtual care page, or even schedule a virtual appointment.

While the stigma around mental health has lessened in recent years, many people still find it hard to reach out to get help. By providing access to mental health resources, services and information across our products, we hope to make it easier for people to seek help and receive proper care.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my mom. She raised me and my two siblings as a single, immigrant mother in a small Texas town. Her goal was always to give us a better life and unparalleled opportunities to what she had growing up in Mexico—and she regularly worked more than three jobs at a time to do it. The truth is, I have no idea how she pulled it all off. I also don’t know that I’ll ever be able to convey the extent of gratitude I feel for who she is (a supermom!) and what she did for us. Her strength and capacity for love is what I aspire to every single day.

I’ve always loved that we have a day dedicated to showing the superheroines in each of our lives how much we love and appreciate them—though one day is certainly not enough! While I’ve been lucky enough throughout the years to spend this day with my mom, this year I’ll be sending my love from afar. 

People around the world are looking for ways to celebrate with their moms, too. Search interest in “Homemade Mother's Day card” has increased by 160 percent in the past week globally. In fact, the most searched Mother’s Day and "virtual" searches worldwide are “virtual Mothers Day ideas,” “virtual Mothers Day gifts” and “virtual Mothers Day cards.”

Giving families an opportunity to connect during these unprecedented times is what inspired us to build today’s new, interactive Mother’s Day Doodle. When you visit the Google homepage, you can create your own custom, digital art from the heart and send it to any and all the moms in your life.

And while they’ve always had to wear many hats, moms, dads and parents everywhere over the last few months have had to become so much more. To all the parents out there, thank you for everything.

While nothing beats one of my mom’s cure-all hugs, I’m grateful that technology will give me the chance to see her smile and hear her laugh when she opens up my attempt at channeling my inner Picasso. It still won’t be enough to thank her for everything she’s done for me, but it’ll surely make all the miles between us feel a little bit smaller. 

La quiero mucho, Ama. I love you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day ????