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This drop is largely caused by deaths of despair [1], partly related to a lack of affordable health care in the US. The fact that (at least [2]) 78% of American

by messo 7y ago

This drop is largely caused by deaths of despair [1], partly related to a lack of affordable health care in the US. The fact that (at least [2]) 78% of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck [3] underscores the relative poverty many people experience in daily life. I think it is fair to say that a majority of Americans live with a scarcity mindset, likely affecting mental health negatively. EDIT: As a Norwegian following American politics, I am surprised that this topic is so rarely talked about by the democratic nominees. The only candidate I have seen talking about the causes of the drop in life expectancy is Andrew Yang. Not even Pete has worked this into his talking points as far as I have seen. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_of_despair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_of_despair [2] The number is increasing fast; it was 75% in 2016 and rose to 78% in 2017. [3] http://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-08-24-Living-Paycheck-to-Paycheck-is-a-Way-of-Life-for-Majority-of-U-S-Workers-According-to-New-CareerBuilder-Survey http://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-08-24-Living-Paycheck-to...

zeppelin101 7y ago
It's ignored because it concerns white men. The demographic which is not permitted to have its problems recognized.
- growlist 7y ago
  Even raising the topic attracts hostility.
- claudiawerner 7y ago
  This is one of the most ridiculous things I've read on this website, especially when it pertains to a country with a legislature, judiciary, police system and executive section of the economy with such a high proportion of white men - and even more so when one considers the law (not necessarily culture, though) was explicitly (to the actual letter) biased toward the needs and desires of white men until less than 70 years ago.
  - zarkov99 7y ago
    Wait, so you think white men are not killing themselves out of despair? Or maybe that if they are they are pussies unable to see how privileged they are even in their despair? Or maybe that they have reasons to despair, but that every single one of them had it coming anyway because of the sins of their fathers?
8456523 7y ago
>This drop is largely caused by deaths of despair, partly related to a lack of affordable health care in the US I'm curious whether you believe lack of affordable health care in the US causes a lot of death from diseases of despair; and if so, why you believe that. I always thought that health care is relatively ineffective at preventing death from those diseases -- addiction in particular, but also suicide. In other words, I always thought that the solution to this particular epidemic will require more than just allocating more money to health care. Also I always thought that most of those dying from diseases of despair do not suffer from other chronic illness, e.g., diabetes, that health care is effective at treating. And I always thought that among those Americans without a pressing current need for health care, simply not having access to good affordable health care, although bad, is not bad enough on its own to drive a significant fraction to suicide or substance abuse. In other words, I always thought that the despair has another source, e.g., a lack of friends or a lack of feeling integrated into a community.
- ragequitta 7y ago
  Mental health is health care too.
  - snagglegaggle 7y ago
    This is true but mental healthcare can not solve systemic issues that contribute to isolation like a lack of social opportunities or sexual partners. These things can be entirely related to economic factors that a healthcare professional can't address.
- messo 7y ago
  > I'm curious whether you believe lack of affordable health care in the US causes a lot of death from diseases of despair There are several underlying causes leading to deaths of despair in the first place; sudden job loss (largely due to automation) [1] I think is a big one–and as you point out– an increase in loneliness and a lack of societal cohesion in general. The fact that 70,237 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2017 alone [2] just boggles my mind, and there is no reason to believe that this trend has slowed down the last few years. Without readily available (mental) health care or strong social security, there is next to nothing that protects people that are out of a job (in areas where the economy is winding down) from a downward spiral. [1] https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/29/news/economy/us-manufacturing-jobs/index.html https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/29/news/economy/us-manufacturi... (2016) https://futurism.com/new-chart-proves-automation-serious-threat https://futurism.com/new-chart-proves-automation-serious-thr... (2017) [2] https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/o...
GaryNumanVevo 7y ago
Also of interest, drug overdoses DOUBLED over the last decade. There's a lot of reasons people turn to drugs, but lack of a solid healthcare system to address drug addiction is what's ultimately killing them.
mbrodersen 7y ago
Yeah as an Australian I am deeply mystified by why things are going so badly in the US given that it has the worlds largest GDP.

by messo 7y ago

zeppelin101 7y ago

It's ignored because it concerns white men. The demographic which is not permitted to have its problems recognized.

growlist 7y ago
Even raising the topic attracts hostility.
claudiawerner 7y ago
This is one of the most ridiculous things I've read on this website, especially when it pertains to a country with a legislature, judiciary, police system and executive section of the economy with such a high proportion of white men - and even more so when one considers the law (not necessarily culture, though) was explicitly (to the actual letter) biased toward the needs and desires of white men until less than 70 years ago.
- zarkov99 7y ago
  Wait, so you think white men are not killing themselves out of despair? Or maybe that if they are they are pussies unable to see how privileged they are even in their despair? Or maybe that they have reasons to despair, but that every single one of them had it coming anyway because of the sins of their fathers?

8456523 7y ago

>This drop is largely caused by deaths of despair, partly related to a lack of affordable health care in the US I'm curious whether you believe lack of affordable health care in the US causes a lot of death from diseases of despair; and if so, why you believe that. I always thought that health care is relatively ineffective at preventing death from those diseases -- addiction in particular, but also suicide. In other words, I always thought that the solution to this particular epidemic will require more than just allocating more money to health care. Also I always thought that most of those dying from diseases of despair do not suffer from other chronic illness, e.g., diabetes, that health care is effective at treating. And I always thought that among those Americans without a pressing current need for health care, simply not having access to good affordable health care, although bad, is not bad enough on its own to drive a significant fraction to suicide or substance abuse. In other words, I always thought that the despair has another source, e.g., a lack of friends or a lack of feeling integrated into a community.

ragequitta 7y ago
Mental health is health care too.
- snagglegaggle 7y ago
  This is true but mental healthcare can not solve systemic issues that contribute to isolation like a lack of social opportunities or sexual partners. These things can be entirely related to economic factors that a healthcare professional can't address.
messo 7y ago
> I'm curious whether you believe lack of affordable health care in the US causes a lot of death from diseases of despair There are several underlying causes leading to deaths of despair in the first place; sudden job loss (largely due to automation) [1] I think is a big one–and as you point out– an increase in loneliness and a lack of societal cohesion in general. The fact that 70,237 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2017 alone [2] just boggles my mind, and there is no reason to believe that this trend has slowed down the last few years. Without readily available (mental) health care or strong social security, there is next to nothing that protects people that are out of a job (in areas where the economy is winding down) from a downward spiral. [1] https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/29/news/economy/us-manufacturing-jobs/index.html https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/29/news/economy/us-manufacturi... (2016) https://futurism.com/new-chart-proves-automation-serious-threat https://futurism.com/new-chart-proves-automation-serious-thr... (2017) [2] https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/o...

GaryNumanVevo 7y ago

Also of interest, drug overdoses DOUBLED over the last decade. There's a lot of reasons people turn to drugs, but lack of a solid healthcare system to address drug addiction is what's ultimately killing them.

mbrodersen 7y ago

Yeah as an Australian I am deeply mystified by why things are going so badly in the US given that it has the worlds largest GDP.