CQ Roll Call (8/5, Raman) reports there has been an increase in deaths by suicide in many communities across the US. Prior to the pandemic, “the nation’s suicide rate reached historic highs…with rates at the highest levels since World War II.” Back in April, a viewpoint piece published in JAMA Psychiatry described the prior trend of rising suicide rates and the coronavirus pandemic as a “perfect storm.” APA President Jeffrey Geller said, “We have people now who don’t know how to feed their family who have not had that thought for a very long time. That’s different than the last recession. There are masses of people who are quite worried today because they don’t know what is going to happen to their benefits. That kind of anxiety exacerbates fragility.”
Related Links:
— “Pandemic’s effect on already rising suicide rates heightens worry, “Sandhya Raman, CQ Roll Call, August 5, 2020