Authors
Steven Wyatt, Jonathan Spencer, Paul Seamer, Andrew Jones, Alison Turner, Mai Stafford, Kathryn Marszalek, Mohammed Amin Mohammed
Published in
International journal of public health. Volume 71. Pages 1609841. Epub Sep 01, 2026.
Abstract
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.
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.
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%).
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.
PMID:
42746255
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 16 Sep 2026.
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