https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-pandemic-deaths-suicides-drugs-alcohol-75000/
"COVID-19 has directly claimed tens of thousands of U.S. lives, but conditions stemming from the novel
coronavirus — rampant unemployment, isolation and an uncertain future — could lead to 75,000 deaths from drug or alcohol abuse and
suicide, new research suggests."
"The researchers pointed to several factors from the pandemic that could make problems worse:
- The potential for a serious, even deadly infection from a previously unknown microbe.
- An unprecedented economic shutdown.
- Skyrocketing unemployment.
- Months-long social isolation (mandated in many states), sometimes with no set end.
- Uncertainty about treatment and prevention strategies.
The new study combined information on
deaths of despair in 2018 (nearly 182,000) with projected unemployment levels from 2020 to 2029, and economic modeling."