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How ‘deaths of despair’ differ by race and ethnicity

February 5, 2024

How ‘deaths of despair’ differ by race and ethnicity

a man sits on a bed, head down and obviously sad

White Americans are more likely than Black and Hispanic people in the United States to experience “deaths of despair” even though they are less likely to suffer from severe psychological distress, a new study finds.

The results suggest that, for some reason, whites are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of psychological distress than Blacks or Hispanics, said Hui Zheng, lead author of the study and professor of sociology at The Ohio State University. Zheng is currently on leave at the University of Hong Kong.