The shutdowns across the country due to COVID-19 have caused tremendous hardship for businesses and those who have lose their jobs, leading to a rise in mental health issues across the nation during the pandemic.
Safety measures such as social distancing may be reducing the spread of the virus, but the “potential for adverse outcomes on suicide risk is high,” according to the Centers for Disease Control, KXAN reported.
It’s unclear if the problems surrounding COVID-19 such as the shutdowns and social distancing are linked to a rise in suicides in Texas because it's not that easy to pinpoint, KXAN reported.
“There are concerns around the fact that even before the pandemic, there was a surge in cases across the country,” Karen Ranus, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, told KXAN. “So while we don’t have concrete data yet, we’re fairly confident that with all the added stress — job loss, anxiety — we’re likely to see that [increase].”
The Centers for Disease Control reported that during late June, 40% of adults in the U.S. reported struggles with substance use and mental health.
"The coronavirus disease 2019 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," the CDC reported. "Symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably in the United States during April–June 2020, compared with the same period in 2019."
Respondents who reported considering suicide during the survey was 10.7%, "significantly higher among respondents ages 18–24 years (25.5%), minority racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic respondents [18.6%], non-Hispanic black [Black] respondents [15.1%]), self-reported unpaid caregivers for adults (30.7%), and essential workers (21.7%)," the CDC reported.
For Texas, the health of the economy is severely depressed although there has been some improvement since the pandemic began.
The Texas Recovery Alliance (TRA) reported that COVID-19 shutdowns have wrecked the state's economy, many businesses have closed permanently and the state may suffer from long-term damage, Texas Business Daily reported.
"In Texas, in particular, a challenge has grown that is equal to the safety threat of virus spread. The Texas economy, once the pride of all Texans and an engine for the nation, is suffering worse than in many other states," the alliance report stated. "Broad indicators make clear that, while the economy may be mending, it is still suffering in ways that should be addressed boldly. In addition, entire industries that are critical to the economic well-being of Texas are on their backs, through no fault of their own."
It remains to be seen how the state's economy will recover and the effect on the residents' mental health and well-being, the report concluded.
