suicideposttraumatic stress disorderglobal mental health
Unemployment Takes Psychological Toll on Americans
Psychiatric News Alert|
The dismal economy of the past three years, and particularly long-term unemployment, are playing havoc with Americans' mental health, according to the August 17 Miami Herald. For example, about one-third of the 62,000 monthly calls to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's suicide-prevention hotlines are now related to economic distress.
Psychiatrists are also finding that the dire economy is eroding Americans' mental well-being. For instance, a Pittsburgh psychiatrist reported that the most stressed individuals are small-business owners who worry about their employees as well as their own welfare. A Michigan psychiatrist reported that he has several patients devastated by the recent dire straits of the automobile industry. And as a New York psychiatrist said, "If the economy continues to get worse before it gets better, and if more and more people are out of work, I suspect that we are going to see much more family discord and depression in addition to anxiety and maybe even an increase in the suicide rate."