Mental Health And Life Expectancy

 

As we’ve discussed many times before on our blogs, living with an untreated mental illness can be absolutely devastating. But can it actually shorten your life? According to some new research from U.S. News & World Report, the answer is yes. But most alarming is the fact that it can impact life expectancy as much as smoking and even diabetes.

 

Over 3,000 different communities took part in this study, which touched on a variety of health-related spectrums. Everything from nutrition, to housing, to education was measured, all in the hopes of understanding what can help Americans live long and fruitful lives. Of course it’s not a stretch to think that a mental illness could shorten your years (issues like suicide and anorexia come to mind), but the fact that it’s on par with cigarette consumption or a debilitating disease like diabetes is surprising.

 

Garth Graham, president of the Aetna Foundation, spoke to the press following the findings. He too was quite surprised to see mental health rank so high as a life expectancy hindrance; particularly since it was not at this level for several years prior.

 

“I at first wanted us to double check,” Graham told CNBC. “Mental health did not have as strong of an effect last year. However, the change is consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that showed increasing opioid overdoses and suicides weighed on U.S. life expectancy.”

 

Indeed, mental health and addiction often go hand in hand. Those dealing with depression and similar issues often turn to substances to help numb the pain. America’s opioid crisis certainly isn’t helping matters either, with many fatal overdoses that appear to be intentional.

 

Several states were named in the study as having been the most impacted by mental illness. Nebraska, for example, saw life expectancy shorten significantly because of depression and addiction. They see roughly 26 suicides to every 100,000 people and the count is quite similar when it comes to drug-related overdoses. New Mexico, Ohio and Maryland were also named as having shorter life spans due to mental health struggles.

 

The only silver lining we can see is that issues like this are most certainly treatable. As opposed to something like diabetes, mental health does not have cut your life short. Counseling, support systems and proper therapeutic care can make a major difference. If you or someone you care about is struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

Addictions And Suicides Are Lowering U.S. Life Expectancy

 

If you think mental health and addiction aren’t creating a ripple effect in this country, you may want to look at the latest stats released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Their new research shows that the country’s life expectancy rate has lowered for the third year in a row due primarily to these issues. Now, American babies born this year aren’t expected to live past 78 years old.

 

The way these stats are calculated has to do with U.S. death rates as a whole. And not surprisingly (with the opioid addiction crisis in full swing), overdoses lead the pack. In just two years, ODs have seen a 10 percent increase; primarily among men.

 

Suicides were another strong contributor to the overall life expectancy rate. Since just 2017, there was nearly a four precent jump in people who take their own lives. And though men still account for more of these types of fatalities, women are showing an increase as well. As of today, suicides are the 10th leading cause of death in America.

 

CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield spoke to the media about these latest findings. He found the rates especially troubling, since a majority of these deaths were preventable (as opposed to cancer or other diseases).

 

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

 

The site Vox.com took the research a step further, illustrating what a big role addiction plays in this scenario. They singled out the states that had the lowest life expectancy rates, all of which have been flagged as being riddled with opioid dependencies.

 

As illustrated in the map below, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania were the major culprits. On a somewhat positive note, it appears as though our home state of California is one of the lesser impacted regions.

Regardless, we find these latest statistics particularly troubling. One of our missions at Inneractions is improve health, both mental and physical. In our opinion, working with trained professionals to deal with addictions and emotional hurdles is truly the key to turning these life expectancy figures around. We encourage anyone who is struggling to please reach out and to avoid becoming another tragic statistic.