A Population Reference Bureau (PRB) study published earlier this year confirmed what we already knew — Americans are dying at alarming rates in the prime of their lives. The team at PRB reviewed the health records of 377,000 young Americans before the pandemic and found that those between the ages of 15 and 24 have a mortality rate that is twice as high as people in the same age range in other high-income countries like Germany and France.
So, what factors could be responsible for these depressing statistics?
Unintentional Injuries: A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found that about 45% of all deaths among people aged 20 to 24 in 2020 were caused by unintentional injuries. Most of these deaths resulted from poisonings brought on by using various substances, including narcotics and hallucinogens. Homicide: Homicide accounted for about 15% of all young American deaths in 2020. The majority of these incidents involved the use of firearms. The high homicide rate in America is related to several factors, but most importantly, the nation’s lax gun laws make it easy for people to get access to guns. Other factors include poverty and lack of social support for young people.
Suicide: Every 40 seconds, someone commits suicide in the United States. Suicide rates for middle-aged and older Americans are on the rise. But those deaths pale in comparison to the death rate among young people. Suicide was responsible for about 16% of deaths among young Americans in 2020. Many studies have identified mental health as a major driving factor in high youth suicide
rates.
Heart Disease: For the age group 20-24 approximately 2.4% of all deaths were from heart disease in 2020. This stems from risk factors for cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, smoking, and lack of exercise. In addition, risk factors for high blood fats like diabetes and being overweight can also contribute to cardiovascular diseases.
Congenital Conditions: Pre-existing congenital conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or maternally transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are responsible for almost 1% of deaths among young Americans. For example, leukemia in adults can lead to death if they cannot be diagnosed early and undergo treatment before their twenty-fifth birthday.
Pregnancy and Childbirth: While maternal death rates are significantly higher in poorer nations, the U.S. has seen a rise in numbers over the past two decades. This coincides with falling abortion rates and teen pregnancy rates. It is estimated that just under 1% (0.7%) of all deaths among young Americans occur either during pregnancy or during or after childbirth. Many studies have found that half of these deaths result from severe medical c o m p l i c a t i o n s or pre-existing conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes during pregnancy, that wasn’t treated properly. It’s now up to us, the American people, to take control and stop this worrying
trend. As a start, we can encourage our young generation to find meaning in their lives and use what they are good at. We can help them find outlets for stress or sadness and have constructive methods for processing difficult emotions.We can create an environment where it is okay to be alive — not just breathing but thriving — and we need to start talking
about mental health as part of a culture of mental wellness instead of reserving it as something that only other people struggle with.
 study published earlier this year confirmed what we already knew — Americans' death rate are at alarming rates){kind=link}