Remediating

An interesting and troubling story from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) out of Great Britain that illustrates the potential for broader concerns from SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID it causes. This relates the circumstances of a death by suicide resulting from isolation. The headline caught my attention: Covid left Manchester student who took own life 'literally isolated'.

Recently, I noted in a post that we likely do not know what is going on in people's lives. See Starfish (February 2022). I cited a deeply troubling suicide example involving a celebrity that seemingly had everything together and epitomized success. I encouraged us in that post to strive for better awareness of the challenges that surround us, and to try to reach out more often, share more openly, and support our community and its members. The BBC story illustrates that such support may be even more of a struggle in a virtual world.  

There is a great deal in our lives these days that may be virtual. In the litigation realm it appears a great many lawyers are preferring virtual discovery, some still prefer virtual mediation though they admit it is losing its luster and effect, and some even say they prefer virtual hearings. The headline struck me however, because I cannot envision "virtual isolation"; it seems that isolation might seemingly always be literal?

The young person in question had no outward signs of emotional issues. Having completed secondary school, he had an opportunity many never will and was travelling south-east Asia as part of a "gap year." Back in the day, no one I know had the money to take a "gap year," and if such had been suggested the first response from any parent would have been "get a job."

But, this student's "gap year" was truncated by COVID. He spent his summer of 2020 at home, described by his mother as "miserable." She reported that she believed he was nonetheless "looking forward to the next stage of his life" when he reported to (the) University in the fall of 2020. COVID may have a way of compounding impact upon impact. Each may be small, even inconsequential in itself: a favorite restaurant closed, a distraction such as a social club suspended, a product temporarily unavailable at the grocery store. Each may be trivial, but in aggregate troubling. 

"Social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity"

The University in the BBC story strove to maintain some level of contact. On September 30, the student attended a "Zoom session" with university academic staff. Other than that, "no evidence was provided that the 19-year-old was either seen or spoken to during his self-isolation." He was found dead on October 8, 2020 when his family raised concerns. The isolation period there was two days from concluding.

The Coroner concluded this was a suicide. There were conclusions drawn regarding the effects of the pandemic as to the student's travels, and the isolation. Notably, this student had prior emotional issues. A prior diagnosis of anxiety was not disclosed to the university on its admission paperwork, though those forms were not necessarily specific regarding inquiry into emotional issues. The focus of the forms was more akin to the issues of any existing "disability or special need." But, asked about a "special need," the student did not disclose. 

The story suggests that greater university knowledge of challenges might have been more appropriate. Denying that the form wording played any role in the death, the school appears to be interested in  pursuing more complete pre-admission inquiries. Some will undoubtedly see such inquiry as invasive and even abrasive. There will likely be struggle and friction between the need to predict challenges and prevent tragedy and the student right to privacy.

What it returns to is the simple conclusion that no one knows what others are going through. Whether from some event, some cascade of experiences, or otherwise, people suffering from challenges surround us. Some of them will only cross our paths virtually, and their isolation in that regard may itself be a significant challenge. To what extent will we remain conscious of that? What will we do to acknowledge that? How will community and business meet the challenges of that as normalcy nonetheless returns to the commonplace?  

How do we acknowledge the challenges which people face and have overcome? As the world comes back to full activity, "normalcy," and the viral concerns fade, how do we remain conscious of what people have been through, or are perhaps going through each day?

By Judge David Langham

Courtesy of Florida Workers' Comp

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