Comment by bilbo0s | Hacker News Reader

Comment by bilbo0s | Hacker News Reader

Sounds like Americans have had a marked decrease in mental and physical health over the time period analyzed. (1999-2016).

I think maybe easier access to healthcare, mental and physical, could help?

Also a lot of this might be signs of an overworked populace? (How many jobs are people working to make ends meet? Do the ends meet after all the jobs are worked? etc). So we should probably look at that as well.

But I think one of the biggest things we should take a long hard look at is our lifestyle. (I know that work hours are a part of that, but I broke that out on its own because it's at least a bit easier). What are we doing during our days? (A lot more screen time these days than there were pre 1999. How many hours do people spend checking reddit/facebook/TinderInstaChat? What impact does that have on physical and mental health?)

What are we eating and drinking? (This might have something to do with it?)

Are there any environmental factors that have arisen as a result in subtle lifestyle changes during the indicated time period?

Etc etc etc.

I guess, in short, I think a comprehensive trend such as the one outlined in the study likely requires a comprehensive look at possible causes.

> I think maybe easier access to healthcare, mental and physical, could help?

I agree with almost everything else you have said. But this line has got to go from the most-common-reply-to-this-problem.

I think it's a huge canard, probably the biggest political canard in existence today, and there are far bigger problems that this presumption (that healthcare is what's needed) masks.

Just as you say, I think there are deep-seated problems with how we structure our society/lives/even just getting about, how we eat, how we are able to (or not) meet new people and create chance encounters, that do not happen for the vast majority of people. Problems that are new in the post 1800's world and seem to only be getting worse.

I do not think the solution is contained anywhere near "more healthcare." Our use in the US already tremendous, more than most countries and most time periods ever in existence. I do not think the solution is "more mental healthcare", unless you mean actually creating and inhabiting communities again, instead of living from space bubble to space bubble. I do not think that's what people mean when they say mental healthcare. Usually they mean hire more therapists instead of create more places where it's easier to have friends meet and people congregate.

It doesn't even pass the sniff test. If the answer was really more healthcare: When has the US consumed more healthcare (mental or physical) than today? In fact if some amount of healthcare = dispensing pills, it seems like this report proves that too much healthcare is one of the biggest contributors to this mortality problem.

I really wish people would stop repeating that statement and start focusing more on what else has gone wrong. I think you are on to something important with the rest of your post, but its too easy for people to drown it out with demanding that "healthcare" do something. I think it's a shame.

Everyone's overthinking this: I think the answer is as simple as "9/11 and its global aftermath." What do we have? Wars, astounding national Debt, and the political divisiveness and uncertainty being fueled by the several crops of politicians. Well, that and the natural cultural end-game of global banks looting western civilization.

It almost seems like you didn’t read the paper.

It shows that the vast majority of the trend is attributable to drug overdoses, and then suicide and alcohol related liver disease are also significantly increased. Other diseases have also increased but are dwarfed by these factors.

So your conclusion seems like it throws away the actual insights provided by the research.

I wish it called out the difference between males and females. Is the trend mostly with males?

Actually, it specifically said that the overdose trend is more pronounced in females.

But what's not said seems to also be relevant to the issue you raise. For instance, for suicides, I'd wager the trend is more pronounced for males. (Though they didn't call that out. So that may or may not be the case).

But whether those in poor mental health are committing suicide, or seeking escape in opioids and other drugs, the final result was clearly the same. Doesn't really matter if you're male or female.

Women are more likely to attempt suicides, men are more successful in their attempts.

https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/

If we adjusted for the period in which they were suicidal, and calculated how many days per suicide attempt existed, would women still have a higher number? That would seem a better measure given that the simple stats of total attempts in general means that a man who commits suicide counts for less than a woman who attempts many times but never commits.

People dont try suicide for days. They try once and are either rescued or not. Next suicide attempt does not happen next day, it happens months/years later. It also have less to do with commitment and more to do with choosen method. Men tend to use guns or something of the sort while women are more likely to attempt to overdose - so there is enough time to find you.

I remember reading that most people in usa try suicide once and rarely second time.

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