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. 2023 Feb 27;218:92–96. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.02.019

Table 1.

Changes in age-standardised rates of ‘deaths of despair’ mortality 2019–2021.

Country Sex Cause Age-standardised deaths per 100,000
Change 2019–2021
2019 2020 2021 Absolute Relative
England and Wales Male Alcohol 20.1 22.8 24.0 3.9 19.6%
Drugs 10.0 10.5 11.0 1.0 9.9%
Suicide 14.2 13.5 14.2 0.0 0.1%
Female Alcohol 10.4 12.1 12.9 2.5 24.1%
Drugs 4.3 4.3 4.6 0.3 7.8%
Suicide 4.1 4.0 4.7 0.6 14.0%
Northern Ireland Male Alcohol 27.0 31.1 29.6 2.7 9.9%
Drugs 13.8 15.8 15.8 2.0 14.3%
Suicide 17.9 19.1 20.0 2.1 11.7%
Female Alcohol 16.1 17.5 17.4 1.4 8.4%
Drugs 4.8 5.8 5.5 0.7 15.0%
Suicide 5.1 6.9 6.8 1.7 33.8%
Scotland Male Alcohol 30.0 36.0 37.1 7.1 23.7%
Drugs 38.8 41.5 39.8 1.0 2.5%
Suicide 21.9 20.9 22.2 0.2 1.0%
Female Alcohol 16.3 15.7 18.1 1.8 10.9%
Drugs 16.3 14.9 15.9 −0.4 −2.6%
Suicide 6.8 7.5 6.8 0.0 −0.1%
USA Male Alcohol 29.4 34.7 37.3 7.9 26.7%
Drugs 33.5 44.4 51.6 18.1 54.1%
Suicide 26.9 26.0 27.1 0.2 0.7%
Female Alcohol 13.6 16.2 17.6 4.0 29.1%
Drugs 14.4 18.3 21.2 6.9 47.9%
Suicide 6.7 6.1 6.3 −0.3 −5.2%