Anecdotal Anguish

An excerpt from a press release from a mental health professional seeking to be interviewed by the media...

We realize that this nation is facing severe emotional anguish, and many people have always been questioning the link between suicide and the economy.

Well how about this… several of her client’s have not told their spouse’s that they have no income coming in and/or their savings is gone for fear of being left, knowing their spouse was with them and put in the sweat equity to build their assets, not wanting to hear “what have you done”, “how can this be”, “what will we leave the children”, and “I told you so”.

Another client is starving himself to death. He is emaciated, he has no money coming in, and he has lost his home and has been forced into moved in with his sister, who has no room for him and has a house full of kids. One owns a glass tinting business, but tinting your house or car windows is a luxury and the business is almost gone. Another in the car business has a plan to either abandon his life or completely disappearing without telling a soul where he is going.

This phenomenon has generated lots of expert commentary, which seems to be at an intuitive level, rather than evidence-based. I don't believe the emotional anguish in relation to recent financial events has been systematically looked at, since the economy just went full crash starting in September. I'm sure some news outlet will bite on this invitation.

What do you think of the media highlighting mental health in this way? Is it interesting? useful? responsible?