Australian researchers projected Thursday that more deaths may come from suicides increasing in lockdown than from the coronavirus itself.
Researchers at Sydney University “predicted an additional 750 to 1,500 suicides per year for up to five years as a result of the impacts of the pandemic and economic shutdowns imposed to curb its spread,” according to a piece published in the UK Telegraph.
The model predicts that the increase in suicides will be much higher than the nation’s coronavirus deaths. The suicides will also affect young people due to widespread closures, with 30% of the newly projected suicides being young people.
‘Suicide rates in Australia are forecast to rise by up to 50 per cent due to the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus and tipped to outstrip deaths from the pandemic by up to 10 times.’
And these people will not have a median age of 80. https://t.co/315AM6OMaU
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) May 6, 2020
Coronavirus lockdowns continue around many parts of the world, but some have questioned the efficacy of the policies, which are now wreaking havoc on the U.S. and world economy. (RELATED: Evidence Suggests The Lockdown Didn’t Help Stop Coronavirus)
A general view of the Exchange Hotel in Balmain on May 06, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Bars and pubs across Australia have been shut since the federal government closed all non-essential business in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
President Trump has repeatedly warned of the possibility that suicides will increase due to businesses failing and people being forced to stay inside.