Article from News Ltd.
Assuming the current coronavirus death rate remains relatively the same, some 300 people could perish in Australia by the end of the first year of the pandemic.
During that same period, more than double the number are expected to die due to a secondary crisis that has been sparked byCOVID-19.
It will be a largely silent death toll and little is being done to drive down the number of victims.
A mental health emergency has erupted in the months since Australia launched its unprecedented response to coronavirus, with anxiety and depression rates skyrocketing.
The consequences of that, coupled with the long-term psychological distressed caused by unemployment and its myriad side-effects, will see suicide rates jump sharply.
“The predicted increase of suicides is 25 per cent each year for the next five years,” Professor Ian Hickie, co-director of the Brain and Mind Centre at The University of Sydney, said.
“That’s 750 extra deaths by suicide a year. It’s an enormous number. It will be a massively bigger death toll than COVID.”
............the mental health crisis caused by the response to coronavirus warrants just as significant a response in terms of public health, Professor Hickie said.
“In the same way that hospital beds and intensive care capacity were increased in preparation for COVID-19 cases, the national capacity to provide rapid and effective care for those with a mental health crisis can be increased immediately,” Professor Hickie said.
“But also important is having sufficient health services to respond,” he said.
“That’s not an awareness campaign – a TV ad telling people to get help. It’s having the support available when they do.
“It’d be like telling people to get tested for COVID but not having any tests available when they show up. What’s the point?
POSTER'S POINT:
Having a self managed app to track one's own mental health avoiding "having to turn up for a test" seems like a very logical and economically sensible strategy. Redeploy the front line testers into 1st level practitioners to assist those who already know their mental health position is of concern!
