Commonwealth Policy Center

The government shutdowns have precipitated a mental health crisis as we’ve never experienced before. Depression, addiction, and domestic violence are increasing and in some communities, spiraling out of control. The latest statistics from the latest Louisville Metro Police Department report are sobering: 566 non-fatal shootings in our largest city, nearly doubled since 2019 when there were 266 shootings; 151 murders, up from 78 last year; and there were 91 suicides in 2020, up from 81 last year. Even as the shut-down of certain businesses and entities were well-intended, had our governor considered the impact on mental health and social disruption, he might have taken a more surgical approach to fight COVID. Unfortunately, we’re learning the hard way that shutdowns have unintended consequences.