We’ve already seen a steady rise in deaths by suicide over the past two decades and a new report by The Well Being Trust released last month found that 75,000 additional people could die from what they called “deaths of despair,” (which include suicide and substance use) because of Covid-19.
The Risk Factors For Covid-19 Suicides
The physical symptoms of the novel coronavirus of the novel coronavirus have been well-reported for months, but it’s the handful of psychological and sociological factors that are just starting to ring alarm bells. The combination of physical distancing, economic stress, barriers to mental health treatment, pervasive national anxiety, and a spike in gun sales are creating what JAMA Psychiatry referred to as “a perfect storm” for suicide mortality.
“Suicide is likely to become a more pressing concern as the pandemic spreads and has longer-term effects on the general population, the economy, and vulnerable groups,” according to David Gunnell, professor of epidemiology at the University of Bristol and head of the Bristol Suicide and Self-harm Research Group, and his research team who recently published their findings in The Lancet Psychiatry.
And these projections are not without precedent. There’s evidencethat deaths by suicide increased both after the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2003 SARS outbreak. We’re already seeing this with frontline workers. In the past few weeks, two stories stood out in the media: Dr. Lorna Breen, of New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, and New York City E.M.T John Mondello.
Social Distancing and Isolation
The research has been clear on this one for years: isolation and loneliness is bad for our health—both physical and mental. According to a meta-analysis co-authored by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking three-quarters of a pack of cigarettes a day…every day. “There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators,” Holt Lunstad says.
The coronavirus has obviously exacerbated the problem. Right now (as of May 8), almost 200 million people in the Unites States are under some kind of stay at home order, with most face-to-face socializing limited to members of their own households. That is, if they’re lucky enough to not live alone like 35.7 million Americans do. And, even in states where restrictions have been lifted, many people are still staying at home.
All this alone time is killing our mental health in general. Here’s an in-depth report on how coronavirus affects the most common mental illnesses. One of the biggest concerns is suicide. All of the experts who study suicide for a living agree that social connections play a role in suicide prevention. Both suicidal thoughts and ideation are associated with isolation and loneliness.
Economic Stress
The unemployment rate shot up to 14.7 percent in April, its highest level since the Great Depression, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. And, those numbers may actually be even worse. The government data comes from surveys conducted the second week in April and by now many more could be out of work, and the many self-employed workers and others newly eligible for unemployment benefits aren’t included in that figure. Also, the way the survey works is that it only counts people who are unemployed and looking for work. Given we’re in the middle of a pandemic, not a lot of people are going on job interviews right now. The possible silver lining is that a majority of those people counted in the unemployment number think that it’s only temporary.
Debt is a huge mental health burden. According to research presented by The Aspen Institute 16 percent of suicides in the United States occur in response to a financial problem.
This virus is not going away. I pray to Jesus there will be a vaccine soon. 🙏
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
1-800-273-8255
~Life is short. Enjoy everyday as if it is your last day on earth.~
