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Abstract
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The COVID‐19 pandemic and public health interventions aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus have psychological and social effects including anxiety, fear of contagion, feeling of uncertainty, chronic stress, and economic difficulties. Some people stockpile medications or firearms. The COVID‐19 global recession including job strain and insecurity, severely increasing unemployment and lengthier periods of unemployment, bankruptcy, increasing family debts, deterioration of asset values, loss of savings, reduced healthcare resources, and reductions in social services affects the psychological state of millions of people worldwide.
The COVID‐19 crisis may lead to the development or exacerbation of depressive, anxiety, substance use, and other psychiatric disorders and increase suicide rates during and following the pandemic. For example, a study in Austria in March-April 2020 showed that 26.5% of the study participants reported moderate (13.3%)‐to‐severe (13.2%) depression; 20.3% moderate (8.9%)‐to‐severe (11.4%) anxiety and 21.2% reported to suffer from moderate (10.5%) or severe stress (10.7%).3 In another example, according to an analysis of the Quest Diagnostics (an American clinical laboratory company operating in the United States and other countries) data, non‐prescription fentanyl abuse increased by 35% during the time from 15 March to 16 May 2020. Abuse of other substances in concert with non‐prescription fentanyl also rose by 89% for amphetamines, 48% for benzodiazepines, 39% for opioids, and 34% for cocaine. The onset or worsening of psychiatric disorders may lead to an increase in suicides around the globe. Mental health consequences of the COVID‐19 crisis including suicidal behavior may be present for a very long time and peak later than the actual pandemic.
Opportunities to prevent suicide may be reduced because the COVID‐19 crisis has disrupted the delivery of psychiatric services worldwide and decreased access to mental health care which was inadequate even before the COVID‐19 pandemic. For example, more than 60% of all counties in the United States, including 80% of all rural counties, do not have a single psychiatrist. A situation in many lower‐income and middle‐income countries where psychiatric services are very weak is much worse.
Language: en |