As the coronavirus pandemic lingers, surveys and medical data continue to confirm the presence of another epidemic — mental health challenges. The trauma persists into 2021, and folks continue to reach out for help. Experts hope that a good number of individuals triggered by the COVID-19 crisis will be able to get back on solid mental ground in a reasonable amount of time after it subsides. "The burden of COVID-19 in New Jersey cannot be measured solely by confirmed cases and lives lost," said Cathy Bennett, president and CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association. "It's important that we also understand the invisible toll of COVID — the mental health impacts brought on by fear, loss, isolation and, for many families and frontliners, the emotional trauma of this pandemic year."