The top substance abuse official in the Department of Health and Human Services said that the uptick in substance abuse and suicide deserves as much concern as the coronavirus.
During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, the assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, warned that the effects of the coronavirus shutdowns on the mental health of citizens will last much longer than the COVID-19 virus pandemic. She questioned whether public health officials have been placing enough weight on the mental well-being of individuals during the pandemic.
“The research literature is clear on the effects of quarantine and stay-at-home practices on mental health. We know that the longer the duration of these orders, the greater the intensity of the mental health problems experienced. We also know that these symptoms persist for years to come even one quarantine is lifted,” McCance-Katz said.
“The data tell us that when the lives of adults, children, and families are drastically changed for extended lengths of time, for many, anxiety, depression, and stress disorders will become manifest and will persist. These are real health conditions with potentially long-lasting consequences that must be taken seriously,” she added.
McCance-Katz noted that, in a typical year, the United States loses 120,000 lives per year to drug overdoses and suicides. She asked, “How many more lives are we willing to sacrifice in the name of containing the virus?”
She said that public health officials advising local governments on when to reopen must consider “whole health” rather than “one narrow aspect of physical health” when making decisions. McCance-Katz also noted that domestic abuse can make the effects of social isolation more devastating.
“While we contain the virus, are we increasing the risk for suicide and drug overdose? Are we creating a future of substance use and addiction for millions of additional Americans?” she asked. “And if we are doing those things, why have we decided collectively that this is okay?”
President Trump, whose older brother Fred Trump Jr. succumbed to alcoholism, called McCance-Katz’s remarks “very sobering.”
McCance-Katz is a psychiatrist and holds a Ph.D. in infectious disease epidemiology.
