Ignoring Native American data perpetuates misleading white ‘deaths of despair’ narrative, says study

An increase in mortality among middle-aged Americans—largely attributed to “deaths of despair” from suicide, drug overdoses, and alcoholic liver disease—has been frequently portrayed as a phenomenon affecting white communities. Under a common narrative, these deaths have often been explained by the perceived loss of status felt by many less-educated white Americans as their economic opportunities declined and their social standing diminished.