COVID-19 and suicide

COVID-19 has brought a raft of intense new stressors while removing many of the resources people have traditionally used to cope with stress. Millions of people have lost their jobs; some have lost their homes or businesses. Families cooped up together because of stay-at-home orders are chafing under the stress, which may increase the risk of intimate partner violence and child abuse. Disrupted routines and the potential for contracting a life-threatening disease may be exacerbating preexisting problems such as mental illness or substance use. At the same time, physical distancing is endangering mental health even as it protects physical health. People in crisis may avoid hospitals, whether for fear of adding to the burden of already overwhelmed facilities or of catching the virus. Gun sales are up.

The result could be a “perfect storm” when it comes to risk of suicide, says Mark Reger, PhD, chief of psychology services at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle and an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. But despite those concerns, COVID-19’s impact on suicide is still unknown. And there’s much that practicing psychologists can do to make sure that people weather the storm without resorting to suicide, including screening all of their patients, coming up with safety plans appropriate for the pandemic and advocating for improved mental health services.

“Suicide is preventable,” says Reger. “We must use what we know can work to mitigate the risk in this time.”