Appalachian Diseases of Despair, 2024


Author(s): Megan Heffernan, Malina Papanikolaou, and Michael Meit
Author Organization(s): NORC at the University of Chicago & East Tennessee State University

This study analyzes the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within the Appalachian Region, focusing on mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. It includes data through 2022 and serves as an update to previous ARC reports exploring the same issues.