Suicides are down in Wisconsin by almost eight-percent, but state officials say COVID-19 has increased the seriousness of mental health issues.
A spokesperson for Family Services’ Crisis Center in Green Bay says fewer people than normal are seeking their help, but the cases they are presented with are more serious. Various Wisconsin agencies have seen 266 suicides during the coronavirus pandemic. That compares to 288 during the same time period last year and 307 the year before that.
A CDC report shows nationwide mental health-related emergency department visits increase by 31-percent this year for children ages 12-to-17. Those kids may be in for another shock when in-person classroom instruction finally resumes.
