You’re largely right. The mistake the doctor makes is applying statistics about long term unemployment to what hopefully will be an aberration in unemployment statistics. Though unemployment often rises in relatively short order, sometimes a quarter or two or less, it’s decline usually takes many months or years. Using your example, were unemployment, after spiking to 15% were to decline but stay above 8 to 10% for several years, I suspect those numbers would be correct. Hopefully we’ll see a return to low single digits by yearend or shortly thereafter. Of course since her point was to equate the ancillary deaths with corona deaths, she had to massage the statistics a bit.
Plus, I’m not convinced that overdosing is a linear function. I think you exhaust the drug using Darwin candidates, and non drug users aren’t that likely to turn to drugs.
Likewise, there are a lot of reasons for suicides, but elderly remain a large category. Possibly due to chronic pain, chronic conditions or terminal conditions. If COVID increases that, it’s probably because people got it and had additional issues.
And I don’t think most youth are that troubled about having school cancelling to stay inside and play games.
Money problems can certainly cause some suicides, and failed marriages. I’m not dismissing the entire issue.