Scutchfield F Douglas
J Appalach Health. 2019 Jul 6;1(2):1-6. doi: 10.13023/jah.0102.01. eCollection 2019.
The U.S. is experiencing a decline in life expectancy, particularly among rural white males in their most productive years. Appalachia is disproportionally represented in mortality rates, accounting for 30% of the U.S. population, but 50% of the excess mortality attributed to the "deaths of despair": drug overdose, suicide, and alcoholic cirrhosis. A substantial proportion of that excess mortality is related to the current opioid crisis we are experiencing. We have data on evidence-based solutions to the treatment of addiction, but little information on prevention of addiction as well as the other deaths of despair, likely with the same etiologic agent. We must focus on finding the root cause of the current epidemic, so that we can prevent this devastating mortality.
美国的预期寿命正在下降，尤其是在处于生产力最高年龄段的农村白人男性中。阿巴拉契亚地区在死亡率方面的占比过高，占美国人口的30%，但在归因于“绝望死亡”（药物过量、自杀和酒精性肝硬化）的额外死亡率中占50%。这种额外死亡率的很大一部分与我们当前正在经历的阿片类药物危机有关。我们有关于成瘾治疗的循证解决方案的数据，但关于成瘾预防以及其他可能由相同病因导致的绝望死亡的信息却很少。我们必须专注于找出当前这一流行病的根源，以便能够预防这种毁灭性的死亡率。
