Recently released data from the Office of National Statistics has revealed a very worrying trend – that so-called “deaths of despair” are dramatically increasing in the UK.
Rates of suicide, alcohol and drug fatalities (collectively known as “deaths of despair”) have increased by 9%, 45% and 81% respectively in England and Wales over the last decade. Given that mortality rates for most other causes are stable or decreasing, this increase is deeply concerning.
In total, in 2022 these three causes accounted for 18,947 fatalities in England and Wales, almost one in 30 of the deaths recorded that year. The figures are even starker for younger people, with “deaths of despair” making up more than 40% of fatalities in the 25 to 29 age group.
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The term “deaths of despair” was first coined by Anne Case and Angus Deaton, two professors from Princeton. They had set out to try and understand the reasons why white, working class men in America were dying younger than before. They concluded that this was due to the sharp increases in deaths from suicide, drugs and alcohol and that, in their words, these “three causes of death are deeply related … [all] show great unhappiness with life”. The source of this, they argued, was the devastating impact of economic insecurity and the breakdown of social support structures, especially in communities ravaged by the end of manufacturing in America. Now, it seems, what started in the US, is coming to our side of the Atlantic.
It is worth saying that many people, myself included, don’t like the term “deaths of despair”. The term can oversimplify the multiple and often complex and structural reasons behind suicide or addiction. It also doesn’t take into account the role of increasingly strong synthetic opioids like fentanyl in causing overdoses among drug users. Nonetheless, the term has been widely adopted by researchers and policymakers, and has helped raise awareness of the growing crisis.
At the same time, using data to report on deeply sensitive issues can feel wholly inadequate. Every early death is a tragedy, regardless of the cause, and discussing percentages and mortality trends doesn’t reflect the pain and hurt felt by the family and friends of those who have died. All we can hope is to use the data as best as we can to try to highlight issues and find solutions.