Newly released 2014 data from the National Center for Health Statistics on life expectancy showed a worrisome decline in life expectancy for whites in the US, to 78.8 years in 2014 from 78.9 in 2013. The good news is that, in contrast, life expectancy increased by 0.2 years for the Hispanic population (from 81.6 toContinue reading “Fall in life expectancy for white Americans”
Tag Archives: suicide
Rising death rates in young white adults due to overdoses
A New York Times analysis of CDC data released this week showed that, in contrast to falling death rates among black and Hispanic adults, drug overdoses are driving up the death rate of young white adults in the United States to levels not seen since the end of the AIDS epidemic more than two decades agoContinue reading “Rising death rates in young white adults due to overdoses”
On Doctors Who Have Depression
Also appearing in the New York Times Upshot column, this Incidental Economist blog post on the prevalence of depression, addiction and suicidal thoughts among doctors provides a great overview of the literature. The post is also compelling because the author draws on his own personal experience with this condition during his own residency, including this moving postContinue reading “On Doctors Who Have Depression”
Public health approach to reducing firearms-related suicide
A New York Times opinion piece today gives another perspective on gun violence prevention. In an earlier post, I had focused on the public health approach to reducing gun violence through targeting mass shootings. Although mass shootings occur more than once daily in this country, the rate of gun-related suicide is far higher: about 20,000Continue reading “Public health approach to reducing firearms-related suicide”
Rising prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical residents
This week’s meta-analysis in JAMA shows that medical residents have high rates of depression. Earlier this year, JAMA Psychiatry published recommendations for screening for depression and suicide risk among physician trainees. Source: One in four new doctors may be depressed, and their patients may suffer because of it Please see my related post here.
Mass shootings as a public health issue
I agree with the New York Times editorial board’s response to the most recent mass shootings, as well as Ronald Reagan–that these atrocities–atrocities that occur more than once daily in this country–are not beyond the power of government and politicians to stop. Times columnist Nicholas Kristof points out that we urgently need to develop public health policies that focus notContinue reading “Mass shootings as a public health issue”
Marion R. Sills, MD, MPH 