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When Public Health Crises Become Entwined: How Trends in COVID-19, Deaths of Despair, and Well-Being Track across the United States

Author

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  • Emily Dobson
  • Carol Graham
  • Ethan Dodd

Abstract

COVID-19 landed in a United States that is deeply divided in opportunity, health, and hope; a reality that is manifest in the million lives lost to deaths of despair in the past decade. We explore the places and populations most vulnerable to COVID and where they coincide with vulnerability to despair deaths. We use well-being metrics to explore spillover effects from the confluence of COVID and despair. Our earlier research finds that metrics like lack of hope and worry track with mortality patterns, with minorities more optimistic and less likely to die of despair deaths than whites. Using EMS first responder data, we compare trends in 2020 with those in 2018 to 2019, assessing excess deaths of despair and new survey data to explore changes in well-being. Remarkably, the cohorts with the highest COVID death rates—low-income Blacks—still report more optimism than other cohorts.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily Dobson & Carol Graham & Ethan Dodd, 2021. "When Public Health Crises Become Entwined: How Trends in COVID-19, Deaths of Despair, and Well-Being Track across the United States," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 698(1), pages 88-110, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:698:y:2021:i:1:p:88-110
    DOI: 10.1177/00027162211069719
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brodeur, Abel & Clark, Andrew E. & Fleche, Sarah & Powdthavee, Nattavudh, 2021. "COVID-19, lockdowns and well-being: Evidence from Google Trends," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    2. repec:plo:pone00:0193401 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Carol Graham & Sergio Pinto, 2019. "Unequal hopes and lives in the USA: optimism, race, place, and premature mortality," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 665-733, April.
    4. Graham, Carol & Pinto, Sergio, 2021. "The geography of desperation in America: Labor force participation, mobility, place, and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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