Like the rest of the country, Texas has seen a rise in mental health issues, as well as drug use and overdose in the past few years. Already an upward trend before 2020, the pandemic fanned the flame of a growing mental health crisis and an ever-worsening opioid crisis throughout the United States.

According to KFF.org, the number of adults in the US who reported symptoms of anxiety and depression rose from 1 in 10, to 3 in 10 between 2019 and 2020. In September of 2020, 15.1% of adults experienced new or increased substance use due to pandemic-related issues, and drug overdose deaths rose alongside this.