While global life expectancy is on the rise for middle-aged men and women, it’s on the decline for teens and young adults, according to a new report.
During the coronavirus pandemic, there was a temporary decline in global life expectancy with women and men dropping by two years to 74.7 years and 69.3 years, respective.
Life expectancy, however, is more dire for younger adults whose mortality rates are growing instead of shrinking.
The report determined that in North America, death rates increased 11.5 percent for youths between the age of 5 to 14 years old.
“We lower youth mortality by meeting teens where they are, not where we wish they were,” Los Angeles-based family therapist Sandra Kushnir told NTD. “That means prioritizing mental health access, building resilient social support systems, addressing the deeper psychological drivers of despair, and giving families the tools to have hard, honest conversations that truly protect their children.”
Mortality increased 31.7 percent for those 25 to 29 years old, and almost 50 percent for those between 30 and 39 years old.
Researchers blame the trend on despair involving alcohol abuse, drug overdoses, and suicide.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 6,400 suicides yearly can be attributed to people between the ages of ten and 24 years old.
Citing influencer content and TV shows like "Euphoria," Kushnir argues that increased social anxiety, overstimulation, and a cultural normalization of substance use is fueling earlier experimentation, more frequent use, and a far higher risk of fatal outcomes.
“Telling younger people to simply stay away from substances is not only unrealistic,” Kushnir added. “It can increase secrecy and curiosity, pushing experimentation underground where it’s most dangerous. Instead, we need to focus on education, transparency, and radical honesty.”
"Euphoria," an American psychological teen drama HBO series, is about a troubled teenaged drug addict, played by Zendaya, who struggles to get sober.
In Eastern Europe, the rise in youth mortality is even more startling.
There was a 53.9 percent increase in teens aged 15 to 19 years old and a 40.1 percent increase for those between 20 and 24 years old.
The political and economic systems collapse and shift to market economies is was concerns mental health expert like London-based IN Therapy senior psychotherapist and researcher Daren Banarsë who deeply questions the unstable environments and high risk-taking culture that he says Eastern European children are raised in.
“I believe the spike in their deaths to be part of the long shadow of post-communism,” Banarsë told NTD. “It created inequality, unemployment, and changes to social roles.”
Although many of the young people today were born after the fall of communism, Banarsë believes they’ve still inherited its impact.
“They’ve grown up in communities lacking stability and trust, and where there aren’t clear social rules,” he added. “This atmosphere of uncertainty can create a kind of psychological stress and fragility, pushing young people into risky behavior, heavy drinking, or self-harm as coping mechanisms.”