Suicide

At the same time, lockdown policies have suppressed the protective factors that guard against suicidal behavior. Thanks to sadistic politicians, people cannot even distract themselves from their troubles by practicing their hobbies. Nor can they hang out with their friends to lift their spirits. Counselling and addiction treatment is only available online and capacity severely lags demand. Churches are closed, eliminating a powerful protective factor which is correlated with a 5-fold decrease in suicide risk.

In 2019, there were about 10,000 suicides in Canada, about 60% of which were doctor-assisted. The suicide figures for 2021 are not available at the time of writing, except for doctor-assisted suicides, which exceed 10,000. From about 5,000 doctor-assisted suicides prior to the pandemic, there were 7,603 in 2020 and 10,064 in 2021. Canadians appear desperate to escape lockdowns, masking, and living with their COVID shot injuries anyway that they can. Of course, the government hides doctor-assisted suicide figures, excluding them from official statistics of suicides.

Research in the suicidology field has tended to center on the extent to which a single risk factor, or protective factor, affects the suicide rate. Take unemployment. In 2003, New Zealand researchers, analyzing a 2.04 million-person census, found that people without a job had two to three times the suicide rate of those who were employed. An Irish study examining data from 1996 to 2006 also concluded that unemployment increases the risk of suicide by 2-3 times. A 40-year study of 26 European countries found a 3% increase in unemployment correlated was associated with a 4.45% increase in suicides. 

Clinical anxiety, which has exploded as a result of lockdowns, is also related to suicide. Research published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2005 stated that anxiety was a significant risk factor for suicide even in the absence of other mental disorders. A paper published in Depression and Anxiety in 2011 stated that an anxiety disorder was present in 70% of people who attempted suicide and concluded that anxiety is a major independent risk factor for suicide attempts.

A common theme in suicide research is the compounding effect of multiple risk factors. A single stressor, such as an event or a mental disorder, often does not result in completed suicide. However, as contributing factors add up for an individual, his risk for killing himself rises exponentially. This may be the most startling aspect of the lockdown-suicide relationship. People living under social distancing restrictions will see many suicide risk factors arise or sharply increase at the same time, while protective factors such as social support disappear. This puts them at an extremely high risk for taking their lives.

It usually takes time for an increase in a risk factor for suicide to manifest in the population suicide rate. Unemployment, for instance, is well-evidenced to increase suicide, but people don’t usually kill themselves as soon as they lose their jobs. The association between unemployment and suicide rises the longer someone has been unemployed.

Depression, loss of social standing and self-esteem, and many other mechanisms by which job loss triggers suicidal behavior, gradually build over time. Research has demonstrated that it takes about 12-18 months for a decrease in the employment rate to be seen in suicide levels.

A large, long-term increase in suicide rates around the world is therefore predictable. The median age of suicide in most countries is in the early 40s. (Average COVID-19 victim: 80 years old). Most deaths by suicide, therefore, take a few decades off an individual’s life — many times more years than a fatal case of COVID-19.

Any increase in the suicide rate must be taken seriously because it is already a leading cause of death. In 2016, it was the second leading cause of death for 15 to 29-year-olds globally, according to the WHO. In Australia, it is the number one cause of death for people under 40. Suicide claims approximately a quarter million lives each year in India. Aiming for zero COVID is self-defeating to society, but we should always strive for zero suicide. God doesn’t want anyone to die that way.

A national survey by UBC and the Canadian Mental Health Association discovered increasing suicidality among Canadians. From a baseline of 2% pre-lockdown, the number of Canadians pondering suicide was 6% in the spring of 2020 and kept rising to 10% by the end of year. A catastrophic 1 in 5 young Canadians were suicidal. Not caring about citizens’ wellbeing, premiers plunged most of the country back into a strict lockdown at the end of 2020. In the summer of 2021, a submission to the Journal of Psychiatric Research reported that in September 2020, 9.5% of people in Victoria, Australia were suicidal and 16.9% “reported having wished they were dead” in the previous 30 days.

A CDC survey found similar levels of suicidality in the United States: 11% of adults, including 1 in 4 young adults, have seriously considered taking their lives due to the lockdown. Note that these findings are not quite the same as “suicidal ideation” or “suicidal thoughts,” which don’t always mean that the individuals are considering enacting what is going on in their heads. These figures specifically refer to people who seriously considered killing themselves. This study alone should be a wake up call for policymakers everywhere to immediately remove all restrictions on employment or social interaction.

Suicidal behavior has indeed been on the rise amongst the youngest members of our society. McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Canada reported a three-fold rise in youth suicide attempts over a four month period compared to pre-lockdown. In March 2021, France’s largest children’s hospital, Robert Debré Pediatric Hospital, reported that they have seen the incidence of suicide attempts double among children and young teens in the preceding six months. Boston Children’s Hospital reported a 47% increase in admissions for suicide attempts and suicide watch for people under age 18 July to October 2020 as compared to the same period in the previous year.

It gets worse. Numerous doctors have reported that they are seeing more children under 10 years old attempting suicide — a rarity before lockdowns — in addition to a marked increase in the degree of intent. Suicide attempts at any age are often a cry for help, but the social distancing cult has made life so unbearable that even children would rather be dead.

Runaway suicide levels may still be avoided if governments quickly repeal social distancing restrictions and prioritize rebuilding the economy and keeping schools open without any restrictions. Treatment for people at-risk for suicide, such as psychotherapy or anti-depressant medications, has not demonstrated much effectiveness at preventing suicide. Effective population-level suicide reduction consists of bringing down risk factors so people don’t become suicidal, and means restriction, such as banning toxic pesticides or restricting handguns.

I know things look dark right now, but it will pass. People are becoming more open to the message of reinstating human rights and politicians are increasingly coming out against lockdowns. The present oppression is only temporary, friends. Keep God on your mind and God will take care of you :)