Deaths of Despair: What Are They and Why do They Matter?

"Deaths of despair is a term that was coined approximately a decade ago and unfortunately gained traction during the Covid pandemic. It describes a phenomenon that spans at least two decades. Deaths of despair are, by definition, middle-aged adults who have died from suicide or drug and alcohol poisoning. These types of deaths were highlighted in 2015 by researchers who were tracking a significant increase in deaths of individuals 45-54 years of age, who died in mental health and/or addictive crises."

"Well-known deaths of despair include the singer Prince, Whitney Houston, as well as Anthony Bourdain, Heath Ledger, and Carrie Fisher; all of these individuals had well-known struggles with mental health problems and substance use issues. There have been thousands more deaths that were not celebrities and have caused untold grief to families left behind. The Covid pandemic acted as a catalyst and magnified these deaths with the added impact of social isolation, financial stress, and overall uncertainty."

"As an addiction psychiatrist, I saw this phenomenon first-hand; so many people lost jobs, families. and loved ones through the pandemic. I treated patients who had built strong recovery programs that were derailed by Covid, the stress of sudden unemployment, financial insecurity, and severe disruption to in-person medical care. This often led to relapse and a spiral of mental health problems. Overdose rates spiked through Covid as well, reaching the highest level of overdose deaths ever recorded, over 100,000 during 2020-2022."

New data show children of parents who suffered deaths of despair have nearly double the risk for suicide or self-harm. Deaths of despair refers to middle-aged adults who died from suicide or drug and alcohol poisoning and spans at least two decades. Researchers highlighted a significant increase in deaths among 45–54-year-olds in 2015 that contributed to statistically significant drops in life expectancy. High-profile cases include Prince, Whitney Houston, Anthony Bourdain, Heath Ledger, and Carrie Fisher, alongside thousands of non-celebrities whose deaths caused broad family grief. The Covid pandemic magnified the phenomenon through social isolation, financial stress, and disruption of recovery programs, and overdose deaths exceeded 100,000 during 2020–2022.

Read at Psychology Today