Unemployment arising out of the covid-19 situation could cause about 9,570 more suicides per year, suggests a new study The covid-19 pandemic has lifted unemployment levels to historic highs in several countries.
Even as the lockdowns continue to disrupt livelihoods, the larger mental health angle cannot be ignored. As a new study suggests, job losses due to covid-19 could result in up to 9,570 more suicides globally than is normal in a year.
The estimate was made by Swiss researchers Wolfram Kawohl and Carlos Nordt in a new Lancet note. Using International Labour Organization estimates, they said global unemployment could rise from 4.9 percent to 5.6 percent in the worst case scenario after covid-19, and to 5.1 percent in the best case.