Source: Exploring the Gap Between Excess Mortality and COVID-19 Deaths in 67 Countries.
There’s an unsubstantiated factoid that political wonks like to push that goes under what-aboutisms: the COVID-19 lock-downs are causing deaths, suicide, exacerbating mental health problems. I would suggest that these persons pushing that point would usually not care about mental health issues caused by public policy. However, research shows that in Australia and New Zealand, the excess deaths is significantly lower, despite lock-downs.
Yes, there are challenges to lock-down, and increased funding to mental health services is essential. However, knowing that we are all in this, that the challenge is to everyone, is a vastly different prospect to issues that are perceived to be faced alone. That the government has taken action to reduce risk to life, rather than support the greed-focused re-open-at-all-costs policy, is a comfort in this age of compassionless, almost psychopathic corporate mentality world.