Ohio State University, Columbus

5.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits during the week of April 5, bringing the four-week total to a historic 22 million people filing for unemployment.  Additionally, as unemployment rises and a recession nears, suicides may increase. During the Great Recession, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 10% and was associated with increases in suicide rates.

Risk due to job loss and income insecurity

Panchal, N., &amp; Kamal, R. (2020, April 21). The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use. Retrieved July 24, 2020, from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/

The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use

Based on household income

If you look at the latest income data for the United States, published in 2019 by the U.S Census Bureau1, we find that for every dollar of household income White households receive, African American households receive .59 cents. That .59 cents to the dollar figure is identical to the racial gap in income in 1978.

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