The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about mental health and substance use have grown, including concerns about suicidal ideation.

As we all know there are a variety of ways the pandemic has likely affected mental health, particularly with widespread social isolation resulting from necessary safety measures. A broad body of research links social isolation and loneliness to both poor mental and physical health. The widespread experience of loneliness became a public health concern even before the pandemic, given its association with reduced lifespan and greater risk of both mental and physical illnesses. Existing mental illness among adolescents may be exacerbated by the pandemic, and with many school closures, they do not have the same access to key mental health services. Prior to the pandemic, more than one in ten (16%) adolescents ages 12 to 17 had anxiety and/or depression.

Throughout the pandemic, leading public health organizations including the CDC, SAMHSA, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations have released general considerations and resources addressing the mental health and well-being of both general populations and specific, high-risk groups during the pandemic. In the U.S., some steps have been taken at both the federal and state levels to address the pandemic’s impact on mental health, but with mental health problems on the rise, key issues are likely to persist. Both those newly experiencing mental health or substance abuse disorders and those already diagnosed before the pandemic may require mental health and substance use services but could face additional barriers because of the pandemic.

Last month of February, we have heard of three deaths by suicide within just a week of each other. Although these deaths were of celebrities, the Buffalo Center for Health Equity felt the need to respond to it and decided to create a public space to talk, in addition to providing some direction for those who may find themselves in trouble.

Please see the flyer attached to this email, share within your network, family and friends and join us over the next 4 weeks for a series of conversations.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.buffalohealthequity.org/events-1