Human trafficking is the illegal trade of vulnerable people, typically for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation, using coercion, fraud, or force. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound and lasting effect on mental health and care delivery.

Many people reported increased anxiety and depression during the pandemic, but had problems accessing services due to lockdowns and other issues causing problems with access to care. Nurses became crucial in assisting clients with accessing care by providing education and services to connect them with providers, including therapists, nurse practitioners, and physicians.

human trafficking — illegal trade of people, typically for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation, using coercion, fraud, or force. exploitation — different ways in which traffickers financially benefit from their victims’ labor or sexual services. force — physical or psychological violence used to control victims, including threats, abuse, or confinement. assigned sex — category, typically male or female, that is assigned to an individual at birth based on physical and biological characteristics, such as genitalia and chromosomes.