Increase In Mortality Among Middle-Aged White Americans Due To Suicide & Substance Abuse

Between 1999 and 2014, death rates increased more than expected among middle-aged, white Americans, and addiction and suicide were among the top 10 causes of death. Most of the increase in mid-life mortality among this population was attributed to accidental poisonings, mostly due to drug overdoses; suicides; and chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis associated with alcohol consumption. Mortality rates per 100,000 people due to these three causes doubled from 32.2 in 1999 to 63.1 in 2014. Working age, non-Hispanic adults represent 39% of all workers.

These findings were reported in “Mortality Trends Among Working . . .