Drug Overdose Deaths in the U.S.
The good news: Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that drug overdose deaths have dropped for the first time since 1990. Between the 12-month period ending December 2017 and the 12-month period ending December 2018, there was a 5.1% decline in overdose deaths. Now the bad news: Experts still see worrisome signs in the data.
Read my latest story for IEEE Pulse magazine: Drug Overdose Deaths Decline, But Remain Historically High.
Narrowing Gender Gap in Youth Suicides
Recent data from Nationwide Children's Hospital show a disproportionate increase in the suicide rate among female relative to male youth, highlighting a significant reduction in the historically large gap in suicide rates between sexes.
Read more on the study here: A Narrowing Gender Gap in Youth Suicides.