Tag: suicide rates

Can Poor Mental Health Reduce Life Expectancy As Much As Diabetes, Smoking?

Experts were surprised with the findings of a new report on healthy communities.

A new report says that poor mental health can have as strong an impact on life expectancy as diabetes, smoking and even a lack of physical activity.

These new findings are part of the Healthiest Communities rankings by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation.

The rankings examined almost 3,000 different communities across 81 different health-related spectrums, like nutrition, housing and education, CNBC reports.

According to Aetna Foundation President Garth Graham, the link between people’s perception of their own mental health and life expectancy being almost as strong as the link between smoking and diabetes and life expectancy was surprising.

“I at first wanted us to double check,” said Graham, according to CNBC.

In 2018, the link between mental health and life expectancy was not as apparent as it was in 2019, Graham says.

“We often think about health as the four hours we spend in a doctor’s office a year, but health is about so much more than that,” Graham said.

Of the top communities in the Mental Health subcategory, the report states, 16 of the top 100 were in Nebraska. Nebraska sees 26 deaths related to suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug overdoses per 100,000. The only state with fewer deaths per 100,000 is New York, at 25.

Of the nearly 3,000 communities involved in the report, Douglas County, Colorado was reported the healthiest community in the country. Colorado as a whole performed well, with seven communities making the top 20 results. In those seven communities, CNBC reports, nearly all adults reported exercising, which has been known to improve mental health.

Nancy VanDeMark of Mental Health Colorado says that the connection between mental health and life expectancy makes sense, since last year’s CDC data pointed to increased opioid overdoses and suicides—also referred to as “deaths of despair”—negatively affecting life expectancy.

VanDeMark adds that it is vital for people to be screened for mental health issues, just as they are for physical health.

“We have a screening site on our website so people can go in and complete a number of screenings to see if they’re high risk for some sort of mental health or substance use concern,” said VanDeMark.

Colorado resident Kristin Gibowicz says that monitoring her mental health is something she keeps at the forefront of her life. “Just getting out, breathing fresh air and slowing your mind down a little bit, putting your phone down disconnecting,” Gibowicz said.

Also worth noting is that among the top communities in the Mental Health subcategory specifically, the report states 16 of the top 100 were in Nebraska.

Nebraska sees 26 deaths related to suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug overdoses per 100,000. The only state with fewer deaths per 100,000 is New York, at 25.

In addition to Douglas County in Colorado, other communities in the top 10 overall include Los Alamos County, New Mexico; Falls Church, Virginia; Loudoun County, Virginia; Broomfield County, Colorado; Teton County, Wyoming; Hamilton County, Indiana; Carver County, Minnesota; Delaware County, Ohio; and Howard County, Maryland.

View the original article at thefix.com

2 April 2019
Avicii's Family Launches Foundation For Mental Health Awareness

“Tim wanted to make a difference. Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honor his memory and continue to act in his spirit,” his family said.

The family of the late DJ/producer Avicii announced that it has launched a foundation to raise money and awareness for a variety of causes, including mental health and suicide prevention.

Rolling Stone reported that the Tim Bergling Foundation will pay tribute to the late musician, who died of an apparent suicide in 2018, by supporting those causes and addressing global and national issues in his native country of Sweden.

In a statement, the family said, “Tim wanted to make a difference. Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honor his memory and continue to act in his spirit.”

In addition to supporting mental health issues, the Tim Bergling Foundation – which takes its moniker from Avicii’s real name – hopes to also bring attention to worldwide issues like climate change, development assistance, nature conservation, and endangered species as well as initiatives that are inherent to Sweden.

The effort echoes the charitable work done by Avicii during his lifetime, which included support for Feeding America, the FEED Foundation, (RED) and Sweden’s Radiohjalpen.

Arguably one of the most popular and successful electronic dance music (EDM) artists of the last two decades, Avicii rose to global fame on the strength of his Top 5 hit “Wake Me Up” in 2013, and according to Variety, placed regularly on Forbes’ “Highest-Paid DJs” list.

At the height of his fame, Avicii stepped away from live performing, citing stress, anxiety and illness as the reasons for his decision. He also suffered from health issues, including pancreatitis caused by excessive drinking, which required the removal of his gall bladder and appendix in 2014.

“The decision I made might seem odd to some, but everyone is different and for me, this was the right one,” he wrote on social media after announcing his retirement.

On April 20, 2018, Avicii was found dead while on vacation in Muscat, Oman. An autopsy found “no criminal suspicion” in his death, but TMZ reported quotes from sources that indicated that the DJ had taken his own life with a shard of glass from a bottle.

His family released a statement shortly after his death that stated in part that Avicii “really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace.”

View the original article at thefix.com

29 March 2019
Opioids, Suicide Push Life Expectancy Down Again In The US

This is the “longest sustained decline” in life expectancy in a century.

The life expectancy of Americans has declined for the third year in a row, according to 2016-2017 data.

Rising drug overdose deaths and suicide are to blame, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As the Washington Post stated, this marks the “longest sustained decline” in life expectancy in a century, a trend not seen in the U.S. since 1915-1918, a period which included World War I and a flu pandemic.

A person born in 2017 can expect to live 78.6 years in the U.S., according to the new data. This marks a decrease of 0.1 year from 2016.

Females continue to outlive men. From 2016-2017, the life expectancy of American women did not change (81.1 years), while men’s life expectancy declined from 76.2 to 76.1 years.

Drug overdose deaths hit a record high in 2017 at 70,237, the CDC confirmed—a 9.6% increase from 2016. The demographics most affected were men, and people between the ages of 25-54.

West Virginia saw the highest rates of drug overdose deaths (57.8 per 100,000), with Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. trailing behind. Meanwhile, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska had the lowest rates, with about 10 or fewer drug overdose deaths per 100,000.

Deaths from fentanyl and its analogs, and similar drugs, increased by 45%, while heroin-related deaths remained constant.

Prescription painkiller-related deaths also did not increase in 2017, the Washington Post noted. This may be the result of efforts to address over-prescribing through prescription drug monitoring programs and awareness initiatives, said Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Efforts to increase access to naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdose, may have helped mitigate some death rates as well.

The rate of suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., increased by 3.7% in 2017. Female suicides increased at a higher rate than male suicides (53% vs. 26%), however, men still die in greater numbers by suicide each year.

The statistics paint a grim picture of drug and mental health problems in the U.S..

“Life expectancy gives us a snapshot of the nation’s overall health and these sobering statistics are a wakeup call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable,” said CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield.

“We must all work together to reverse this trend and help ensure that all Americans live longer and healthier.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 November 2018
Mental Health Education Now Required In New York Schools

New York is the first state to require mental health education in all grades.

This fall, New York schools became the first in the U.S. to teach mandatory mental health education to students of all ages.

“All schools” across New York state are now required to teach mental health literacy in health class in elementary school, middle school, and high school.

New York enacted the requirement in July—same as Virginia, which now requires mental health education to be taught in the 9th and 10th grade.

There’s a growing movement to lessen the stigma of mental illness as suicide rates in the U.S. rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national suicide rate increased by 30% since 1999. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds, and is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. overall, the agency has reported.

According to the New York law, “90% of youth who die by suicide suffer from depression or other diagnosable and treatable mental illness at the time of their death.”

It is “critical” to teach young people about mental health, said New York’s Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. “When young people learn about mental health and that it is an important aspect of overall health and well-being, the likelihood increases they will be able to effectively recognize signs and symptoms in themselves and others and will know where to turn for help—and it will decrease the stigma that attaches to help-seeking,” said Elia.

The purpose of teaching kids about mental health in schools is to “advance mental health literacy among young people statewide as schools prepare students with lifelong skills in mental health and wellness and increase their awareness of when and how to address treatment or support for themselves of others,” according to the New York State Center for School Health.

CNN reported in July that the curriculum should cover “the multiple dimensions of health and include the relationship of physical and mental health.”

In August 2017, the NYS Mental Health Education Advisory Council was established to provide guidance to educators. The new curriculum must teach nine key points, according to the Daily Mail. These include identifying the signs of mental health issues, finding resources for help and support, and addressing the negative stigma that surrounds mental illness.

“We need to change attitudes around mental health. Starting to educate children in schools makes sense,” said Meredith Coles, PhD, professor of psychology at Binghamton University.

View the original article at thefix.com

2 October 2018
How Drugs, Alcohol & Suicide Are Affecting The Average Lifespan

A new CDC report has revealed some alarming changes in life expectancy trends.

A new CDC report reveals that the average life expectancy in the United States is falling for the first time since 1993.

Drugs, alcohol, and suicide are taking the lives of young Americans at rates so high that the U.S. life expectancy is being pushed down, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has released a new federal report revealing that the U.S. life expectancy has dipped by about 0.3 years between 2014 and 2016.

This breaks the pattern of steadily-rising life expectancy between 2006 and 2016, which saw growth from 77.8 years to 78.6 years. The causes for this drop in the general population, says the CDC, are rising drug overdose rates, suicide, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s.

Drug deaths have been spiraling out of control over the past few years, killing 63,600 people in 2016.

In 2016, liver disease surpassed HIV to take the dubious honor of being the sixth-highest cause of death for U.S. adults aged 25 to 44.

Suicide has been on an upward trend for all demographics, including an alarming 9% increase in suicides by children from age 1 to 14 during the study period.

While more men have died of overdose and suicide than women in the past, that gender gap is quickly closing. Drug overdose deaths jumped by about 19% for women aged 15 to 24 from 2014 to 2016. Suicide rates for young women have grown by a whopping 70% between 2010 and 2016.

Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen by 21%, and the CDC expects this number to grow larger as time goes on.

However, the report wasn’t all bad news. Among Americans above the age of 65, deaths resulting from heart disease, cancer, and strokes have fallen.

Drugs, alcohol, and suicide have been working to drive down life expectancy since 1993. While these increases may not seem like a big deal, Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the National Center for Health Statistics, says we should be aware.

“For any individual, that’s not a whole lot,” he told NPR. “But when you’re talking about it in terms of a population, you’re talking about a significant number of potential lives that aren’t being lived.”

View the original article at thefix.com

24 September 2018