The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released an article called “Suicide Mortality and Coronavirus Disease 2019–A Perfect Storm.”
The study referenced the role of churches in helping mental health.
“Weekly attendance at religious services has been associated with a 5-fold lower suicide rate compared with those who do not attend,” JAMA said. “The effects of closing churches and community centers may further contribute to social isolation and hence suicide.”
That was said in April of 2019.
“But lawless governors, intent on seizing control, ignored the warnings,” wrote Liberty Counsel chairman Mat Staver. “Society was summarily shut down, including schools and churches. Nine months after publication, JAMA’s warning has come true. Our society — and especially our children — are suffering.”
The Maryland suicide hotline had more than an 800 percent increase in calls compared to the previous year.
Of adults surveyed, 40.9 percent reported having at least one adverse mental health condition, ranging from anxiety to depression.
Eleven percent of adults over 25 contemplated suicide. Among young adults (18-24), 25.5 percent had contemplated suicide.
“Again, the JAMA article cited that regular church attendees are five times less likely to contemplate or commit suicide than their non-churchgoing peers,” Staver said.
He also pointed to a Gallup survey that shows one group whose mental health didn’t decline in 2020 — and improved 2 percent — regular church attenders.
“Church is not just a building, and it certainly is not just a simple speech that can be digitized and viewed online,” Staver said. “No, church is the assembly of God’s people, meeting together for worship, for prayer and for healing.”
