This Christmas, in a year full of despair, we need to hold fast to this truth

As we approach the end of 2020, our nation’s mental health is the worst it has been in decades. That’s not my opinion — it’s the findings of a recent report from Gallup, which has asked Americans about the state of their mental health since 2001.

This year, nearly one-fourth of Americans rated their mental health as "fair" or "poor," the most significant decline in our country’s psychological well being on record.

The sad truth is these findings won’t surprise anyone who has lived through 2020. A global pandemic, social unrest, an economic downturn, a polarizing election: you name it. This year has thrown us a litany of challenges that would burden anyone’s mental well being.

Even as we hear news that a vaccine for the coronavirus is now available — a veritable Christmas miracle! —it may take months before it reaches the average person.