The coronavirus pandemic has pushed unemployment rates in many states to record highs, and health policy groups worry it could mean an increase in suicides, drug, and alcohol abuse. John Auerbach, president, and CEO of the non-profit group Trust for America’s Health says for the first time in two decades, U.S. deaths from drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, and suicide leveled off in 2018. But he warns that minority communities with lower wages typically report the highest numbers of preventable deaths. Unemployment, due to COVID-19, could reverse progress made in reducing drug abuse. “The loss of a job, unstable housing, a relationship breakup — so, we know that the lower your income, the more likely that you’re going to be experiencing those and at risk for these causes of death,” he points out.
The overall U.S. opioid death rate dropped by 2% from 2017 to 2018, while the death rate for synthetic opioids increased by 10% nationwide. Wisconsin health officials say all opioid-related deaths in the state have decreased by nearly 5% since 2016. A Trust for America’s Health and Well Being Trust study did show a 51% increase in preventable deaths from drugs and suicide over the past decade. Auerbach says the pandemic could affect mental and behavioral health trends and believes the U.S. should be developing policies to prevent further deaths of despair. “We need to make sure that people have easy access to high-quality health insurance, where behavioral health is linked in with the physical treatment that they’re receiving,” he stresses. Auerbach notes that American Indians, Asians, blacks, Latinos, and older adults all experienced increases in drug-induced deaths between 2017 and 2018.
