Although the COVID-19 virus directly led to many illness and loss of life, one of the lesser talked about causes of death exacerbated by the pandemic was suicide.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed this fact in an August 2020 report, saying “The coronavirus disease pandemic has been associated with mental health challenges related to the morbidity and mortality caused by the disease and to mitigation activities, including the impact of physical distancing and stay-at-home orders.”
Since the pandemic, suicide rates have increased significantly. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), “Leading theories of suicide emphasize the key role that social connections play in suicide prevention. Individuals experiencing suicidal ideation may lack connections to other people and often disconnect from others as suicide risk rises. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are associated with social isolation and loneliness. Therefore, from a suicide prevention perspective, it is concerning that the most critical public health strategy for the COVID-19 crisis is social distancing. Furthermore, family and friends remain isolated from individuals who are hospitalized, even when their deaths are imminent. To the extent that these strategies increase social isolation and loneliness, they may increase suicide risk.”
Although the government-mandated shutdowns throughout the country were meant to prevent death due to physical sickness, they only increased problems for those with mental illness.
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