Coronavirus Despair: 75,000 Americans Projected To Die From Suicide And Overdose

An estimated 75,000 more Americans are at risk of death because of suicide, or alcohol and drug misuse because of despair stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, a study finds.

Well Being Trust, a public health group, which did the study, warned local, state and federal authorities that ‘’growing unemployment crisis, economic downturn and stress caused by isolation and lack of a definitive end date for the pandemic," are pushing Americans into a mental health crisis.

The U.S. unemployment rate has surged to 14.7% because of the coronaviru pandemic, a level last seen the Great Depression.

"Unless we get comprehensive federal, state, and local resources behind improving access to high quality mental health treatments and community supports, I worry we're likely to see things get far worse when it comes to substance misuse and suicide," Well Being Trust's chief strategy officer Dr. Benjamin Miller told CNN.

The group showed maps that estimate death tolls per state and per county based on data from previous years. The data is just a projection and these numbers could still change if immediate actions are taken.

The study's death estimates ranged from 27,644, assuming the economy recovers quickly, to 154,037, in a slow recovery scenario. These numbers are in addition to the projections of 134,000 deaths from COVID-19 across the country by Aug. 4, according to a model from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

The group advocates immediate solutions from agencies and local, state and federal officials to find ways for suddenly unemployed workers to find work. "Unemployment during the Great Recession was associated with an increase in suicide deaths and drug overdose deaths," the trust said.

There was an increase in deaths from both drug overdose and suicide along with unemployment during the 2008 recession, the group said.

Despite the loss of jobs brought about by the pandemic, there are also new job opportunities with states needing people to do contact tracing and other health care needs.

“If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.”