Rutgers psychologist Edward Selby is available to comment on the need for greater awareness and prevention of suicidal behavior during COVID-19 pandemic.

“Suicidal behavior has been escalating in the United States over the last 20 years, and we saw a particularly sharp increase in suicide rates up to the start of this year,” said Selby, an associate professor of clinical psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences. “The pandemic has contributed to greater levels of stress, mental health conditions and substance use, and I worry the trajectory for suicide may worsen further.”

Selby leads the Emotion and Psychopathology Lab at Rutgers and is a core faculty member of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research.

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