End to US unemployment protections could fuel wave of despair and suicides

End to US unemployment protections could fuel wave of despair and suicides

Posted on August 13, 2020

A failure to reinstate enhanced federal unemployment benefits and eviction moratoriums could contribute to a wave of despair, drug overdoses and suicides among Americans, amid mounting fears about the long-term toll of the pandemic. Protective factors include access to mental health services, family and community support, and strong religious or spiritual beliefs that discourage suicide. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that some Covid-19 survivors may experience mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD as part of a myriad of long-term consequences. At least 35 states have reported a rise in fatal opioid overdoses during the pandemic, with powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine increasingly implicated. “This [opioid] epidemic caused 70,000 deaths last year, and it’s far from over,” said Dr. Ken Duckworth, CMO of NAMI.