There have been pandemics, quarantines and shutdowns before this year around the world. The effects of such events on people's mental health has been well-researched.
The results of this research are not encouraging.
While the primary focus in public health is on COVID-19, a looming mental health crisis is cresting. The longer the economy stays closed, and the more often the date for reopening gets pushed back further into the future, the worse the impact on anxiety, depression, mania and substance abuse will be.
We must not view the deaths of despair that will result from this shutdown as inevitable. We must be diligent in our efforts to reopen the economy as soon as possible and get people back to work. Positive mental health, and lives, depend on it.
I wrote about this in more detail in Broad + Liberty in the hope that people will not ignore those who suffer from mental illness in these uncertain times.
My book Resilience: Handling Anxiety in a Time of Crisis is available now.
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