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Dealing with health problems and health care as the climate changes
Climate change makes it harder for people to stay healthy and for medical providers to do their jobs, says Aaron Bernstein, co-director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of…
How a database helps prevent violent deaths
Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) has been crucial in helping policymakers, health care workers, and researchers understand more about what leads to violent deaths, including homicides and suicides,…
Dropping life expectancy in U.S. may be ‘disturbing new normal’
Life expectancy in the U.S. is dropping, driven largely by drug overdoses, suicides, alcohol-related illnesses and obesity, according to a new study. Although life expectancy had been increasing steadily since 1959, it plateaued at 78.9 years in 2010,…
Why ‘deaths of despair’ are rising in the U.S.
A panel of faculty and students delved into the potential causes of increasing "deaths of despair"—deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide.
Exploring rising suicide rates among teens, law enforcement officers
Suicide rates have been increasing among teens as well as law enforcement officers, according to recent data. Experts discussed why rates may be rising in an October 20, 2019 NPR roundtable interview. For example, the youth suicide rate…
Teams of health professionals, gun owners work to prevent gun suicides
In various locations around the country, public health professionals have partnered with gun owners to develop strategies aimed at reducing gun suicides. For example, a team in Bend, Ore., including a family doctor and rural firearm owners, created…
U.S. gun deaths disproportionately high
The U.S. firearm homicide rate is 25 times higher than in other high-income countries, and the firearm suicide rate is eight times higher.
Technology to track your mental state
New apps and wearable devices are being developed to track psychological health, and experts say that such “mood forecasting” technology could help doctors and friends know when a person is in mental distress. A February 19, 2019 NBC…
High rates of gun ownership linked with more youth suicides
A nationwide study found that youth suicide is more prevalent in states with higher rates of household gun ownership. After accounting for factors that could contribute to suicide risk, such as depression, alcoholism, and substance abuse, the researchers…
How the world’s health is faring
Global health statistics at the end of 2018 reveal both positive and negative trends. According to a December 28, 2018 NPR article, some of the negatives include: There are more than a million cases of cholera in Yemen.…