This article caught my eye and it really got my attention when I saw the ER doctor quoted as saying they had seen a year’s worth of suicides in a month. That there is a concurrent mental health crisis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is not surprising. It might well be far worse than is being popularly reported.
In our nationwide FTCA practice, we frequently see suicide and other mental health cases arising from care at VA and other government medical facilities. It is well known that the suicide rate among veterans is unacceptably high. When I saw this article about a private hospital in the Bay area of California, my immediate thought was about what might be happening among the veteran population.
Even before the pandemic, the VA was having a hard time adequately addressing the mental health challenges of its patient population. It is a legitimate worry that the situation might now be much worse.
We will find out, certainly, after the fact. By then it will be too late.