Suicides on the rise in South Lake Tahoe during COVID-19 crisis

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - During the months of March and April 2020 there were five suicides in South Lake Tahoe. That equals the total number of suicides in all of 2019 in the community, and one less than in 2018.

There were none in January or February before the coronavirus hit.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, suicides were actually down nationwide. In a story we ran on April 10, less than 30 days after the shutdown in response to the crisis, calls for mental health services were actually down not only in South Lake Tahoe but across the country.

That is now changing as we close in on 90 days of shutdown, continued job loss and the closure of normal activities that help people use to cope like gyms and groups.

"Our normal advice for coping is not available right now," said Lisa Utzig Schafer of the Suicide Prevention Network in Minden and South Lake Tahoe. "It is harder to do self-care."

"Make sure people are checking in on loved ones," Schafer said she tells people who want to know how they can help.

Have things changed? Are they staying busy? Was there a breakup or a job loss?

These are normally things that cause one to spiral out of control Schaefer said, but they will be magnified with the coronavirus.

With the recent suicides, all ages and genders are affected. While guns were used only twice in the last two years, three of the recent suicides in South Lake Tahoe were by guns.

There are not always outward signs of depression or that one has thoughts of suicide. People may put on a facade that they are okay.

"It is really important to take the extra time to check and double-check on people more often than they normally would," said Schafer.

During times like these it is good for people to start a new hobby, focus their self-care energy elsewhere, and most importantly, stay connected.

"People need a purpose," added Schafer.

In recent days, stories written by new agencies in the Bay Area and New York are reporting high numbers of suicides in a fairly short amount of time as well, many areas seeing a year's worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks.

"Three months into the coronavirus pandemic, the country is on the verge of another health crisis, with daily doses of death, isolation and fear generating widespread psychological trauma," said William Wan in the Washington Post. "Federal agencies and experts warn that a historic wave of mental-health problems is approaching: depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide."

The National Suicide Hotline has a chat feature on their website as well as a text option as well as a phone number for people to call. Text a message to 741741, call 1-800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. Schafer said some people feel more comfortable chatting online or texting. People can be experiencing any kind of crisis and the person on the other end will line them up to the right person.

Schafer said it is important for people to understand that everyone is in the same boat with facing the uncertainties of the pandemic.

"Nobody knows what is going to happen next," she said. "People are having trouble making plans not knowing what will be allowed or not.

She said it amplifies some emotions living on the border of California and Nevada. What businesses can open on the Nevada side aren't necessarily able to open not the California side, a vice-versa.

"If you are worried about a loved one, or want to get involved, call the Suicide Prevention Network at 775.783.1510," said Schafer. She has met with many people who are concerned about a loved one and unsure of the next steps.

"Do not miss, dismiss or avoid the signs that someone is going to turn to suicide," she said. Her agency will be offering training and education once they are able to do so again.