Lockdown suicidal thoughts jump, found by study of people in lockdown in the State of Victoria (Australia) last year, according to ABC News 25 June 2021 and Journal of Psychiatric Research 4 June 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.080.
The research team reported: “In September-2020, among 1157 Victorians, one-third reported anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms, one-fifth reported suicidal ideation (thoughts), and one-tenth reported having seriously considered suicide in the prior 30 days”.
Ian Hickie, a psychiatrist at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Institute, commented that the proportion of people seriously considering suicide was “a high rate” and was consistent with other research. He also commented: “Most of the evidence we have, particularly for young people, is that these rates were increasing pre-COVID. They then went up markedly in the first COVID lockdown, and then subsequently in terms of emergency department presentations and really serious attempts at self-harm or suicide”.
Link: ABC
Editorial Comment: How sadly predictable for a generation brought up to believe there is no God, and they are nothing but evolved collections of chemicals, and therefore there is nothing for them apart from this world. When it all goes wrong they want to give up, not realising there are serious eternal consequences to self murder if they succeed.
This situation is not helped by materialistic authorities who have closed churches or put serious restrictions on them, such as no singing, while allowing sports venues to be filled with shouting spectators. This has even seriously impacted our Creation Research work, with churches, schools and organisations unable to have live meetings, or even make plans for them. But we haven’t thought of suicide for one reason: we have a personal Saviour Jesus Christ who is with you in good times and bad.
So, one real issue arising from this study is the need for churches and Christians to use whatever means are available to tell people the good news that there is a God who created the world, who is still in control, and is working His purposes out. This generation of young people, who were already increasing in suicidal thoughts before the coronavirus, need to know the God who created them, who will hold them accountable for their actions, and who sent the Lord Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for their wrongdoings so they can look forward to a glorious future with Him for eternity.
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