A health crisis is a change in your mental or physical well-being that causes an intense feeling of stress or emotional turmoil. It can occur at any age, but is more common for people who have a chronic illness or medical condition.
The pandemic has brought new focus to the fact that many communities experience worse outcomes than others when it comes to accessing healthcare services. These gaps are rooted in socioeconomic factors such as wealth, education, and housing. Communities of color, women, young people, and those with lower incomes are more likely to experience challenges when seeking health care.
As the COVID-19 epidemic continues, many of these challenges are getting even worse. In some places, people are experiencing long wait times to get their flu vaccines, and hospitals are struggling financially due to the high rates of disease, hospitalizations, and deaths. The strain is also causing burnout among and violence against healthcare workers.
The healthcare system is working hard to provide high-quality care for everyone, but the situation is challenging for them all. Health disparities are deepening, and there is a growing sense of urgency to address them. CDC is focused on advancing policies that prioritize reducing social determinants of health to accelerate progress toward health equity. This includes a strong commitment to expanding mental health and substance use services. Our national Call 988 hotline connects people in crisis with trained, local crisis representatives. The call is free and anonymous, and can be made via phone, text, or online chat.