Deaths of despair in England, 2014-2022: trends by sex and socioeconomic deprivation before and after COVID-19.

IF 3.2 3区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

International Journal of Public Health Pub Date : 2026-09-01 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.3389/ijph.2026.1609841

Steven Wyatt, Jonathan Spencer, Paul Seamer, Andrew Jones, Alison Turner, Mai Stafford, Kathryn Marszalek, Mohammed Amin Mohammed

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: Deaths of despair-alcohol, substance use, suicide and non-organic mental health related-have attracted international attention, but English evidence remains limited. We examined trends in deaths of despair in England (2014-2022), including COVID-19 impacts and inequalities by sex and deprivation.

Methods: We analysed all registered deaths in England (2014-2022), identifying deaths of despair by ICD-10 code. Age-standardised mortality rates, years of life lost, and inequalities by sex and deprivation were calculated. Log-linear regression estimated pre-pandemic trends and deviations during COVID-19.

Results: There were 133,600 deaths of despair (2.9% of all deaths). Age-standardised mortality rates rose 33%, from 22.6 to 30.1 per 100,000. Mortality was consistently higher in men and deprived areas, with widening inequalities. During COVID-19, mortality temporarily exceeded the pre-pandemic trend, particularly among women and deprived groups, before returning to trend. Deaths of despair accounted for a rising share of years of potential life lost (13.9%-16.6%).

Conclusion: Deaths of despair increased substantially in England, contributing a growing burden of premature mortality. Persistent, widening inequalities highlight a public health challenge requiring surveillance and interventions addressing immediate causes and social determinants.

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2014-2022年英格兰绝望死亡人数：COVID-19前后按性别和社会经济剥夺划分的趋势

目的：绝望的死亡——酒精、药物使用、自杀和非器质性心理健康相关——已经引起了国际关注，但英国的证据仍然有限。我们研究了英格兰（2014-2022年）绝望死亡的趋势，包括COVID-19的影响以及性别和贫困的不平等。方法：我们分析了2014-2022年英国所有登记的死亡病例，通过ICD-10代码识别绝望死亡。计算了年龄标准化死亡率、寿命损失年数以及按性别和贫困划分的不平等。对数线性回归估计了COVID-19大流行前的趋势和偏差。结果：绝望死亡13.36万人，占总死亡人数的2.9%。年龄标准化死亡率上升33%，从每10万人22.6人上升到30.1人。男性和贫困地区的死亡率一直较高，不平等现象不断扩大。在2019冠状病毒病期间，死亡率暂时超过大流行前的趋势，特别是在妇女和贫困群体中，然后又回到趋势。绝望死亡在潜在寿命损失年数中所占比例不断上升（13.9%-16.6%）。结论：英国绝望死亡人数大幅增加，导致过早死亡的负担日益加重。持续不断扩大的不平等现象凸显了一项公共卫生挑战，需要进行监测和采取干预措施，解决直接原因和社会决定因素。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Public Health 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

4.20

自引率

2.20%

发文量

269

审稿时长

12 months

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Public Health publishes scientific articles relevant to global public health, from different countries and cultures, and assembles them into issues that raise awareness and understanding of public health problems and solutions. The Journal welcomes submissions of original research, critical and relevant reviews, methodological papers and manuscripts that emphasize theoretical content. IJPH sometimes publishes commentaries and opinions. Special issues highlight key areas of current research. The Editorial Board''s mission is to provide a thoughtful forum for contemporary issues and challenges in global public health research and practice.