There’s no doubt that suicide risk is at an all-time high right now. However, it’s ignorant to say that the pandemic has caused a mental health crisis.

We have been living in a mental health crisis for years. Suicide rates have increased at a rapid pace.

The pandemic has proven how broken our mental health system is— clearly demonstrating a high need that for so long has been hid under stigma.

I’m especially worried for all essential workers and healthcare workers, considering the relationship between trauma and suicide.

This is undoubtedly a problem, an existing one that has been made worse by the pandemic.

However, it’s not one or the other, the pandemic exists and the mental health crisis exists.

We must find a way to address both instead of blaming one for the other.