Quick googling shows suicide deaths increasing 24% over 15 years, to 45,000 in 2014. I heard an interview on Sam Harris’ podcast where the contention was teena

Quick googling shows suicide deaths increasing 24% over 15 years, to 45,000 in 2014. I heard an interview on Sam Harris’ podcast where the contention was teenage suicide rates are dramatically increasing. Overdose deaths are at around 70,000 for 2017. Overdose deaths and suicide are very connected, insofar as they can be traced to a feeling of hopelessness or meaninglessness. Alcoholics are at a very high risk for suicide, for example. There may be many other related causes of death: homicides, car crashes, and other destructive behaviors can still be viewed through a lens of lack of self worth or hope. I think it is a huge mistake to treat it as a priori that economic factors drive this situation. You can argue that even though we are all materially much more well off than 100 years ago, the awareness of relative status still has a profound psychological impact. But I think looking at possible non-economic factors relating to psychological, philosophical, and spiritual health might provide alternate hypothesis that could help. I think policy makers and pundits avoid that because it seems much harder to address those issues via policy. To me, though, the data implies a widespread crisis in sense of meaning.