Thread by @GidMK

There is now some reasonably strong evidence that non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19 ("lockdowns") were associated with decreased short-term suicides in several locations in the world

https://twitter.com/jeremyfaust/status/1395829954256977927

In a number of other places, while not associated with a decrease, they were also not associated with an increase either. In fact, best evidence suggests no link between lockdowns and an increased short-term suicide rate

One of the most bizarre things is that whenever you point out the fact that suicide rates have not generally increased during lockdowns or indeed the pandemic, people get very angry at you

Personally, I think it's quite a good thing that there have been fewer suicides

It is almost as if people would be happier had suicides risen as some were worried they could, so that their political arguments would be stronger

But that can't be the case, surely?

The other quite funny thing is that everyone takes this as an explicit argument about mental health, which it is not - suicide and mental health are linked, but not the same issue by any means