Suicides fell in 2020, defying predictions in a year of loss csmonitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from csmonitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Suicide Rates Fell to 5-Year Low in 2020 but COVID-19 and Overdoses May Mask True Figure: Experts
New data shows suicide deaths across the United States dropped in 2020, though the full picture remains unclear, say experts, who worry that a sharp rise in fatal drug overdoses and possible cause-of-death misclassification in people who had COVID-19 at the time of their suicide, may be masking the true number.
Preliminary data in a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) based on figures from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) shows that there were 2,677 fewer deaths by suicide in 2020 compared to the previous year.
COVID-19 in 2020: Deaths and Disparities medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Overdose deaths involving both opioids and either cocaine or psychostimulants were rising long before anyone heard of COVID-19, a National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) report showed.
From 2009 to 2019, deaths involving both cocaine and opioids rose more quickly than those involving cocaine but not opioids, reported Holly Hedegaard, MD, of the NCHS Division of Analysis and Epidemiology, and co-authors, in an
From 2009 to 2019, the rate of overdose deaths involving both cocaine and opioids jumped from 0.7 to 3.8 per 100,000, while overdose deaths involving cocaine without opioids increased from 0.7 to 1.1, Hedegaard and co-authors said. In 2019, 76% of cocaine-related overdose deaths also involved an opioid. This varied by region, from 83% in the Northeast to 63% in the West.
That is why
the National Safety Council and Shatterproofare partnering to ensure employers are prepared to support workers with SUDs and end addiction stigma. Stigma remains a foreign concept to many organizations, even as it affects the health and safety of their employees. Fortunately, NSC and Shatterproof offer a variety of resources, but there is no time to lose.
The Impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 has worsened the addiction crisis and will continue to do so as people experience social isolation and financial uncertainty and as over-burdened healthcare delivery systems impact treatment and recovery services. The pandemic has exacerbated many SUD risk factors, including psychological ones, such as mental health conditions including anxiety or depression and trauma, as well as social risk factors, including unstable housing, low socioeconomic status and unstable employment. The long-lasting impacts may not manifest as problematic substance use until weeks, months or even years late