Addressing Mental Health During This Economic Downturn

Poverty is a leading cause of clinical depression, not just on account of causing one's mood to drop, but loss of access to healthy food, loss of sleep due to prolonged employment search, and overall decline of physical health are also contributing factors to depression and anxiety. Left untreated, this in turn can lead to increased rates of suicide. During the Depression, suicide rates reached an all-time high of 22.1 suicides per 100,000 individuals, a 22.8 percent increase from 1928 (pre-crash) to 1932 (unemployment was at 24.1 percent). There was an immediate spike in suicides after the stock market crash, jumping from 18.1 in 100,000 in 1929 from the 12.1 in 100,000 of the decade before. From 1930-1940 the suicide rate was 15.4 in 100,000.

We should constantly be educating ourselves on mental health issues and encourage dialogue and treatment, but during this economic downturn it becomes ever more urgent.