quote:

Despite advances in health care and quality of life, white middle-aged Americans have seen overall mortality rates increase over the past 15 years,
representing an overlooked "epidemic" with deaths comparable to the number of Americans who have died of AIDS, according to new Princeton University research.

..This turnaround in mortality reverses decades of progress, the researchers write,
and the same pattern is not seen in other rich countries, nor is it seen among African Americans or Hispanics in the United States.
Although death rates related to drugs, alcohol and suicides have risen for middle-aged whites at all education levels,
the largest increases are seen among those with the least education, the researchers found. For those with a high school degree or less, deaths caused by drug and alcohol poisoning rose fourfold;
suicides rose by 81 percent; and deaths caused by liver disease and cirrhosis rose by 50 percent. All-cause mortality rose by 22 percent for this least-educated group.
Those with some college education saw little change in overall death rates, and those with a bachelor's degree or higher actually saw death rates decline. In terms of lives lost, had the white mortality rate held at its 1998 value, 96,000 lives would have been saved between 1998 and 2013. If it had continued to fall at the rate of decline seen from 1978-1998, 488,500 deaths would have been avoided between 1999 and 2013]. This figure is comparable to the number of deaths caused by the AIDS epidemic in America..

..After 1998, things changed. Death rates among middle-aged white non-Hispanic Americans began to rise at a steady clip of half a percent per year. This turnaround was specific to whites, the researchers found. For non-Hispanic African-Americans and Hispanics in the U.S., mortality rates declined at 2.6 and 1.8 percent per year respectively. Likewise, other rich countries maintained their yearly 2 percent decline..

.."The strongest morbidity effects are seen among those with the least education," Case said.
Psychological distress also shot up in middle-aged white non-Hispanics. The fraction of people showing serious mental illness, measured using one standard yardstick, the Kessler score, rose from 3.9 percent to 4.8 percent between 1997-1999 and 2011-2013, while the fraction of people who said they had difficulty socializing—a risk factor for suicide—rose from 6.3 to 8.7 percent. A larger number of middle-aged Americans reported being unable to work or having difficulty with activities of daily living. These self-reports could help explain the increase in Americans on disability, the researchers write, and indeed the Social Security Administration records also show increased disability associated with musculoskeletal problems and mental health issues.
"With regards to the increase in mental illness, I think it is part and parcel of all of this bad stuff going on," Deaton said. "But if people are drinking and drugging too much, or thinking about killing themselves, it is not so surprising they will report rising mental illness."..

angerbeet posted:

I would totally gently caress that guy in the jif

jackyl posted:

my privilege says I didn't read a goddamn thing the op posted

afeelgoodpoop posted:

afeelgoodpoop posted:

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-11-death-health-problems-middle-aged-white.html

Aralan posted:

Good

MurderBot posted:

I seriously love being white. I've attained my success in life knowing that my white privilege and growing up in an upper middle class family with good morals and values and a system which has benefited the white man also benefited me into a wonderful life.

potee posted:

baby boomers are hitting the mid-60s and thats when poorly educated fatfucks tend to shove off

afeelgoodpoop posted:

mid-60s is middle aged?

thathonkey posted:

i didnt read this very carefully is it still true if you are even somewhat educated the mortality rate held steady and with a college education it actually fell?

quote:

The fraction of people showing serious mental illness, measured using one standard yardstick, the Kessler score, rose from 3.9 percent to 4.8 percent

jet sanchEz posted:

What is the guy in the gif saying?

Aralan posted:

Good

Profondo Rosso posted:

i always knew i was just following my heritage by being hella mentally ill and dirnking myself into an early grave

Fart Puzzle posted:

can't wait to graduate college and have all my mental illnesses disappear, gonna be sweet

Fart Puzzle posted:

can't wait to graduate college and have all my mental illnesses disappear, gonna be sweet

angerbeet posted:

I would totally gently caress that guy in the jif

CaptainSarcastic posted:

Indeed it will - great things await:

mdm posted:

is the guy in the jif white or nah? Not sure if he has privilege or not

MurderBot posted:

I seriously love being white. I've attained my success in life knowing that my white privilege and growing up in an upper middle class family with good morals and values and a system which has benefited the white man also benefited me into a wonderful life.