A new shows that the death rate for midlife whites in the state increased 6 percent from 2000 to 2013. Many of these deaths can be attributed to so-called diseases of despair, like suicide, drug overdose and liver disease caused by alcoholism.
These rates reflect a national trend, but also highlight a widening gulf between life expectancy in the U.S. and countries like Canada, where a stronger social support network may create greater resilience. They also contrast starkly with North Carolina鈥檚 death rate for middle-aged non-whites, which decreased by 30 percent over the same time period.
Host Frank Stasio talks with , professor emeritus of public health at ECU鈥檚 Brody School of Medicine, about the research findings and the correlation between economic distress, health and mortality.
