Deaths of Despair and Geographic Differences in Mortality

Shannon Monnat , Syracuse University

During this panel, I will summarize recent geographic trends in fatal drug overdoses and related “deaths of despair” (i.e., suicide, alcohol), including rural-urban continuum and within-rural differences. The presentation will highlight large differences in rates across different types of communities and describe relationships between social and economic conditions and mortality rates. Objectives of the presentation are (1) to caution against a unilateral focus on opioids to the detriment of ignoring other important preventable causes of mortality and (2) to move our focus beyond the individual-level determinants of “deaths of despair” to a focus on the place-based nature of these particular causes of death.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 50. Rising U.S. Mortality: How Much Should We Despair?