How can a simple question — 'How Are You? — become something much more? And as the world reels from the effects of COVID-19, can small moments of brutal, uplifting, devastating and thoughtful honesty offer community respite?

As COVID-19 spreads, so do mental health problems — especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Of the coronavirus’s many side effects, perhaps the most potent (and least appreciated) are psychological. Many have died. And even those who’ve had a bad case and survived might continue to suffer from long-lasting side effects or PTSD. People in the so-far-healthy majority are also hurting. Young adults are getting more depressed and anxious as SARS-CoV-2 uproots whatever ambitious life plans they’d been rushing towards.

In the U.S., the national rate of anxiety tripled in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2019 (from 8.1% to 25.5%), and depression almost quadrupled (from 6.5% to 24.3%). In Britain, which has also had a severe outbreak and a long lockdown, depression has roughly doubled, from 9.7% of adults before the pandemic to 19.2% in June.

It’s easy to give an easy answer. It’s hard to share how we really feel, especially as we experience an unprecedented public health crisis, economic devastation, and social isolation simultaneously. By creating a simple space to be honest, HOW WE DID IN THE PANDEMIC hopes to show people that they aren’t alone as they process these complex issues.

For this campaign, Good Measure collaborated with Bill Ferenc — an illustrator and designer originally from Detroit and now living in Houston. He works at The Black Sheep Agency in Houston Heights and is a long time collaborator to both our advocacy projects and creative sprints.