How Would Chicken Little Respond to COVID's Impact on Mental Health AND Suicide? Courageously, laying hope for our most vulnerable. We're responding too.

​“You’re going to have suicides by the thousands. ... People get tremendous anxiety and depression, and you have suicides over things like this when you have terrible economies.” —​ President Trump

Yes, perhaps as President Trump cavalierly warns us — breaking all common-sense rules about publicly talking about suicide — the sky is falling. But this is not the time to scramble. We must rise to the occasion, recognizing the psychosocial fallout from COVID-19 is massive and will reverberate for years to come.

Let us remember the moral of the traditional Chicken Little story is to have courage even when it feels like the sky is falling. Let’s come together and lay a four letter word for our most vulnerable populations now at an even higher risk of suicide: HOPE.

Otherwise, COVID-19 is going to take an enormous toll on the mental health of Americans. And, cause an unprecedented increase in suicide rates resulting in the preventable loss in life far outweighing the heartbreak caused by the virus itself.

While the nation’s attention is largely focusing on the active physical treatment of patients, suicide populations are at higher risk than ever before. Despite this, they are being overlooked. This must change. And, change immediately.

Our President’s comments do not leave you with a lot of faith in the federal government’s likelihood of responding compassionately nor do his off-handed remarks suggest he is going to direct federal agencies to take any actions to prevent this outcome.

We can’t just sit back and acknowledge — as our Commander in Chief has already gotten that out of the way for us — that yes, we are going to have a problem on our hands of potentially epic proportions.

Nope, not good enough. Not when lives are at stake.

Whenever and where ever people turn — regardless of how much they have in their wallets — they simply must have access to mental health care. Please keep in mind that of those who die by suicide, 90% have an undiagnosed mental illness at the time of their death, most saw a health care
professional in the year prior, with up to 45% of individuals visiting their primary care physician within a month of their death.

We must call suicide what it is, a public health epidemic. And, we must fight it as such, with epidemic measures.

We must marshal as many resources as possible and mobilize an all out war on as many fronts as possible to make mental health care on parity with physical health care.
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Let me paint a picture for you of what will happen if we don’t courageously respond and give people hope.

What do we Know About Impact of COVID on Mental Health, Suicide and Suicide Attempts?

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