(CW: Suicide) The decline in the nation’s suicide rate during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic may suggest advancements in preventative programs and treatment, but stakeholders contend a closer look reveals a complicated picture — one that raises questions on why the decline did not occur evenly across racial and ethnic groups. Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director at NAMI, says a potential positive that as a result of the pandemic is the increased willingness among people of all racial and ethnic groups to talk about their mental health and well-being. She hopes such openness can lead to new opportunities for expanding mental health care supports and services within underserved communities. “I think more people are able to better appreciate just how significantly impairing depression and anxiety and other mental health symptoms really are,” Crawford says. “My hope for the future is that not only can we normalize conversations around mental health and emotional wellness, but we can also normalize conversations around mental health treatment.”
