CVS Health said it will increase access to mental health services to help flatten "the second curve" of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said the second wave of the pandemic is an escalating mental health crisis, particularly among front-line responders.
"The wrath of COVID-19 is not just physical. Mental trauma is the deadly undertow of the pandemic's first wave. The impact of isolation, fear, uncertainty and loss can be just as deadly as the virus itself," said Karen Lynch, CVS Health's executive vice president.
CVS Health said it has seen a 200 percent increase in virtual mental health visits since March compared to the year before, as well as substantial increases in calls for help with psychological distress.
In response, it is donating $500,000 to Americares, which helps front-line healthcare workers, particularly those with low incomes, improve their mental health awareness, knowledge and resiliency.
It is also donating $300,000 to a crisis text line called For the Frontlines, which provides mental health support for front-line workers, and $220,000 to Give An Hour, which offers free counseling to healthcare workers.
Read the full news release here.