Staff and board members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Butler County attended the organization's annual golf outing on Saturday. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Many people are still living with and working through the mental fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Donna Lamison, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Butler County.

A lot of people have experienced a change in brain chemistry and don’t even realize it, she said.

The increased need for emotional support and resources is reflected in the number of calls NAMI has received over the past few months, which Lamison said are up from years prior to the pandemic.

“I think a lot of us have been traumatized by COVID, the isolation and support issues because we haven't been able to get together as much with our families,” she said. “We have been getting a tremendous amount of calls for people seeking help in some way, shape or form.”

The county chapter of NAMI offers several support groups for people experiencing different emotional and mental needs, and the organization is highlighting them during May, which is nationally known as Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Butler County Crisis Hotline is 1-844-427-4747.

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